it’s- time
eat your ‘nips & tatties’ as we celebrate
the lost item
labelto
appropriately
night on 25th january see page 13
PAGEburns
12

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we sort out the best beauty buys for
you in 2010 on page 14
turn to page 18 for gadgets to get
you out of bed on a winter morning
catch up with all the entertainment
news & reviews on page 27
turn to page 28 for solutions to
your mid-week meal meltdown!
Thinking about a new challenge
for 2010? turn to page 30

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NEWS UPDATE...NEWS UPDATE...NEWS UPDATE...NEWS UPDATE...

Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Arrives In Haiti
Spanish Deputy Prime Minister, María Teresa
Fernández de la Vega, has arrived in Haiti on board
a plane carrying 12 tons of medical material donated
by Spain.
‘We are not going to let the Haiti people down’, she
said after observing some of the destruction from last
Tuesday’s earthquake for herself, and announced a
further donation of five million € to finance essential
public service projects on the island and to fund the
dispatch of a specialised medical boat.
Spanish firefighters from the specialist rescue
united based in Huelva have managed to rescue
three people alive from the rubble after working
an initial 12 hour shift in a collapsed hotel in Puerto
Principe.

44 Years Since Atomic Bombs Fell On Palomares

Photos went round the world in 1966 of the then
Spanish Minister for Tourism, Manuel Fraga, and
the United States ambassador to Spain, Angier
Biddle Duke, taking a dip off the coast of Palomares
in Almería.
It was a publicity shot taken with the intention of
proving that the waters were safe after four atomic
bombs fell in the area, two on land and two at sea,
following a mid-air collision involving a B52 bomber
and a tanker plane based at Morón de la Frontera in
Cádiz during a mid-air refuelling operation.
The bombs fell on January 17, 44 years ago. None
of the 1.5 megaton bombs exploded although two
of them leaked radioactive plutonium over the area.
The other two were recovered intact from the sea,
one of them a month later by a local fisherman.
Now a propaganda documentary made at the
time on the incident has been declassified under
the freedom of information law, and is available at
the webpage of the United States National Security
Archive, a private body based at Washington
University. Despite the publicity shots it is known

that plutonium, uranium and americium were
released into the sea.
The documentary is called ‘Operation Headstart’,
and was produced by the United States Air Force
to show the viability of its strategy in the face of a
hypothetical attack from the USSR. Military chiefs
explain in the film how the Soviets could launch long
range ballistic missiles, and that the United States
response was to have a permanent presence in the
air of B52 bombers, loaded with nuclear bombs,
and refuelling in flight, to counter-attack.
In fact the strategy was revised following two
refuelling accidents in Spain in 1966 and in Denmark
in 1968.
Remaining radioactivity was found in earth
in the area in testing carried out in 2008. That
discovery resulted in the United States giving a
new undertaking to remove the contamination and
1.6 tons of earth.
The incident is also now being made into a
Hollywood film by Miramax.

Meanwhile the body of the 53 year old Spanish
diplomat, Pilar Juárez Boal, has not been found.
The body thought to have been her has now been
confirmed to be that of someone else according
to the Spanish Foreign Office. It follows the early
discovery of the death of the Spanish couple, Yves
Baltrini and María Jesús Plaza.
De la Vega met with President Preval and United
Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon on Sunday,
and on Monday will take part in a reconstruction
meeting in the Dominican Republic. She has
underlined the commitment of Spain and the EU to
continue to work in an attempt to relieve the effects
of the tragedy, and said it was important tat the aid
was complementary and coordinated.

P&O To Close
‘Pride of Bilbao’ Service

The ferry which has linked Bilbao in Spain with
Portsmouth in England for the past 17 years is to close.
P&O Ferries says that the route has been making
‘unsustainable losses’ and that it is now trying to
relocate the some 252 workers from the ‘Pride of
Bilbao’. The boat is currently undergoing her annual
revision in the dockyards in Falmouth.
Workers were informed of the decision on Friday,
and given an undertaking by the company that the
lowest number of job losses will be sought.
The service will officially end on September 27 this
year, the date when the company’s charter of the
boat comes to an end. Until then normal service will
be maintained.
P&O ferries say they will get in touch with any
people who have reservations made for after that
date, to offer alternatives or a refund.
The service had been submerged in controversy
recently when the Partido Popular presented a denuncia
over the disappearance of 35,707 tickets for the service
which allegedly represent a loss of 10 million € from the
accounts of the Vizcaya provincial government.

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Spanish Poet’s
Verses Go To
The Moon!
The verses of the Orihuela
poet, Miguel Hernández,
are to be sent to the moon
as part of the celebrations
which are taking place
this year to commemorate
the 100th anniversary of
his birth. It’s his book of
poems, ‘Perito en Lunas’
– ‘Lunar Expert’ which is to
make the trip, in a capsule
to be sent to the moon by
a U.S. company, Celestis.
The announcement was
made last Wednesday at
the presentation in Madrid
of more than 500 events to
be held in Orihuela, where
Miguel Hernández was
born on 30th October 1910,
to celebrate his centenary.
The presentation came on
the 80th anniversary of
the day the poet’s verses
were first published in the
press, in the 99th edition
of the publication ‘Pueblo
de Orihuela’.
Miguel Hernández fought
on the Republican side
during the Civil War and
wrote his last poetry from
prison, dying there from
tuberculosis
in
March
1942.

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Sol Times Almeria and Sol Times Calida are independent of political parties,
private investment and government. Our policy is to provide readers with a
news and information service that is fair, accurate and balanced.

Junta de Andalucía President Denies Receiving Letter From British Ambassador
The President of the Junta de Andalucía, José Antonio
Griñán, commented last Thursday that he had not received
‘any notification or letter’ from the British Ambassador to
Spain, Giles Paxman, regarding the demolition of nine British
owned properties in Albox, Almería.
British diplomats are insisting that Ambassador Paxman
has written and sent a fax asking for a meeting to try and
find a solution to the problem, but speaking to journalists in
Córdoba, José Antonio Griñán, said that the building licences
for the properties had already been contested by the Junta at

the time as not being considered as legal. He insisted that the
Junta had therefore met its obligations regarding the matter,
and that the properties were illegal.
However, also speaking on Thursday, the Junta’s Councillor
for Housing, Juan Espadas, made a call for calm from the
nine property owners. He said that his department would be
looking at the matter ‘case by case’. He said that problem had
arisen because of the ‘speculative interests of professional
defrauders’ who had attracted foreign investors by offering
the chance of building on non-buildable land without explaining

China To Invest 1 Billion Euros For Tourism Centre In Murcia
The Chinese government and a variety
of businesses from different sectors will
be investing around 1 billion Euros for
the development of a tourism, logistics
and leisure centre in Murcia, Spain next
year. The project is known as Special
Zone of Chinese Investments and will
include 2000 apartments, shopping
and entertainment complexes, and
educational facilities in addition to a
theme park showcasing the Chinese
cultural heritage.

The construction work on the project
is expected to begin next year in the
city of Lorca and likely to be completed
in 2013 or 2014. The project has been
made possible by negotiating with
Chinese and Asian private initiatives for
two years.
The logistics centre will showcase
Chinese monuments and have eight
themes including one on Chinese
culture and history. Around 187,000
square meters of area would be given to

Chinese business companies which will
invest in ZEIC.
A commercial area where Chinese
products and services will be provided is
also part of the plan. The centre will also
have a business training school and the
leisure zone would have a casino, food
services, entertainment services, a five
star hotel and a golf course.
The ZEIC has been described as a
‘bridge between Spain and China’ by the
Spanish government.

Mystery Benefactor Leaves Millions To The Royals
Spain’s royal family have been named benefactors in the will
of a multi-millionnaire whom they have never met.
Investor and business tycoon Juan Ignacio Balada Llabrés,
from Menorca, died in his home town of Ciutadella on
November 18, leaving his fortune to the Prince and Princess
of Asturias and the King and Queen’s eight grandchildren.
Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia say they did not know the
deceased. They had never heard of him until they were told
they had inherited his multi-million-euro estate.
Half of the money is to go directly to Felipe and Letizia, their

children Leonor and Sofía and the girls’ six cousins, and the
other half is designated to Prince Felipe to set up a charitable
foundation of his choice.
The Royal Family says it is unaware of the exact sums
involved, or whether there are any family members of the
late tycoon who may come forward to claim the money. He
is said to be the only son of pharmacist Catalina Llabrés and
business-owner Ramón Balada, who are now deceased.
The estate comprises both urban and agricultural land and
buildings, property investments and stocks and shares.

exactly what any problems could be.
Espadas also expressed his wish to halt the disordered
growth and said leaving the new town plans aside he would be
working with the Town Halls in the districts of the Almanzora in
Almería and Axarquia in Málaga with the objective of imposing
urban discipline.
‘The Junta de Andalucía does not knock down buildings, but
challenges licences it considers to be illegal, and it is the judge
who then decides’, he said.

High-Speed Internet For Andalucia
During a conference in Almeria this week, the Ministry of
Innovation promised a series of grants to extend high speed
wireless internet access to the remaining 600 villages across
Andalucia that currently have no access to the internet.
Vodafone is expected to be the company that will build and
operate most of the new antennas. Users will then be able
to sign up for monthly plans to allow them to surf the web
via mobile phone technology at the same price as a standard
telephone line.
According to the Junta de Andalucia, upon complete of the
project, Andalucia will be the only place in the world to make
access to the net a basic right; Finland is the only other that
has so-far tried to implement a similar system, and has yet
to reach 100% coverage.

Three Hour Check-In For Iberia
Flights To U.S.
Iberia has asked for travellers, flying with them to the United
States, to present themselves at the airport at least three hours
before take off time. The extra hour comes as a consequence of
the extra security measures being demanded by the United States
on incoming flights, which has resulted in an additional control on
passengers at the boarding gate.
They are also requesting that hand baggage be reduced to ‘the
minimum’ and that passengers present themselves at the boarding
gate earlier than before because of the extra control there.

Spain Sees ‘End Of Cycle’ In High
Illegal Immigration
The Spanish government have stated that
they appear to have reached the ‘end of a
cycle’ in high numbers of illegal immigrants
arriving on its shores, as the number dropped
significantly in 2009 due to the economic
crisis.
“It is the end of a long cycle”, Consuelo
Rumi, the secretary of state for immigration
said, following the publication of its 2009
immigration directory.
“We are seeing a transition towards a new
period that will be characterised by a slower
rate of arrivals,” Rumi added, also predicting
that those who did arrive would face a
tougher entry process.

The number of illegal immigrants who
reached Spain as a whole in 2009 halved to
around 7,000 from some 14,000 last year.
Unemployment, at 18 percent for the
Spanish population, rises to 27.5 percent
for immigrants, who continued to arrive in
Spain in high numbers until the second part
of 2009.
Among Spain’s population of 46 million, 12
percent are from abroad, especially South
America, Morocco and Eastern Europe.
Over a 15-year period more than four million
immigrants have arrived in Spain, attracted
especially to its once booming construction
sector.

Spain Opens New Airport
Spain has a new airport with the opening of the Lleida facility on Sunday. It has been
funded entirely by the Generalitat Regional Government in Catalunya and has an international
classification.
It’s forecast that some 50,000 travellers could use its facilities over the first year, a number
which is forecast to reach 395,000 annual users in ten years time.
The first arrival was an Airbus A320 Vueling flight from nearby Barcelona which flew over the
airport several times before finally touching down to the applause of many locals who had turned
out to watch. President of the Generalitat de Cataluña, José Montilla, was on board the plane
with some 160 journalists.
Commercial flights start on February 5 with links to Paris and Palma de Mallorca operated by
Vueling.

Animal Trafficking Ring Smashed

Eighteen people have been arrested across
Spain for the illegal online sale of protected
species, in a Civil Guard operation which
began with an investigation into an Iberian
Wolf which had been put up for sale on the
Web.

Wolf, a European Lynx and several birds of
prey. Reports indicate that many of the animals
were transported from Eastern Europe under
false documentation, passing the journey in
conditions described as ‘appalling’ in vans
which had been rented for the purpose.

Dubbed ‘Operation Lobezno’ – ‘Wolf Cub’, a
number of exotic animals have been seized,
including a number of lions, three pumas, a
cheetah and a tiger, in addition to an Iberian

The organisation is reported to have
operated in 10 Spanish provinces where the
18 suspects were arrested. Another two
people have been questioned by detectives.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

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Development Minister Says Airport Body Scanners Are ‘Inevitable’
The Spanish Minister for Development, José Blanco, has held
a meeting in Washington with his United States counterpart,
Ray LaHood, and commented to the press afterwards that the
use of full body scanners in airports is ‘inevitable’, provided that
intimacy is safeguarded.
The meeting was called to discuss the second phase of the

‘open skies’ agreement between the United States and Europe,
and Janet Napolitano, the US secretary of security, was also
present.

given an undertaking to work together to bring a more efficient
response to the ‘global threat’. He said rather than any blame
the meeting had served to show the wish for cooperation.

Blanco commented that after the attempt to bring down a
plane over Detroit at Christmas several security faults had been
detected both in Europe and the United States, and he had

He said that new technology and body scanners were
inevitable despite their use being rejected by the European
Parliament in 2008.

Juan Antonio Roca Sacking ‘Was Justified’
The judge in Social Court 11 in Málaga has
ruled that the sacking of Juan Antonio Roca
from his post as Municipal Real Estate Assessor
at Marbella Town Hall was justified, and that
the man who is at the centre of the Malaya
corruption allegations has no right to his job
back or any compensation.
Marbella Town Hall had sacked him because
of absence from his post after he was first
imprisoned on remand when the Malaya case
broke in March 2006, but Roca had claimed
unfair dismissal.
Carlos Rubio, the councillor for personnel in
Marbella Town Hall, said that common sense

had triumphed, underlining the lack of morals
and the cheek of Roca for challenging his own
sacking.
Roca’s lawyers declined to comment to the
La Opinión de Málaga newspaper as they said
they had not been officially informed of the
verdict.
Roca had been working at the Marbella Town
Hall since May 1992 and had been earning an
official wage of more than 9,000€ a month.
If his claim for compensation had proved
successful, experts say he could have been
awarded some 300,000€.

Spanish Politician May Sue FBI Over
Osama Bin Laden Photo
FBI, the coveted investigative and intelligence body of USA, has recently been at the
receiving end of Spanish politician Gaspar Llamazares tongue (spokesman for the United Left
Coalition), for using upper part of Llamazares’s face in digitally enhanced photos of Al Qaeda
leader Osama bin laden in the recently updated photos on its website.
Llamazares, asserting that the matter affected the safety and freedom of innocent citizens,
described it as very serious and did not deny taking a legal action against the US authorities.
He also stated that the matter showed the low level of intelligence of U.S authorities.
FBI spokes person, Jason Pack, acknowledged using the politician’s picture and said that
they are aware of the similarities in the characteristics of an older Osama bin Laden and that
of an existing picture of Llamazares. Pack explained that to produce the subject’s photo in
advance years, a database of photographs is used by Forensic artists as a reference. In this
case, the artist, not able to find the characteristics in the database took the characteristics
from the photo of Llamazares on the internet, unaware of his identity.

Alicante - Most Profitable Airport In Spain
Alicante’s El Altet is the most profitable airport
in Spain, ending 2009 with operating profits of
43.5 million €. The results for Spanish airports
revealed by the Development Minister, José
Blanco, last Tuesday showed there to be only
nine profitable airports in the country, with
Alicante well-ahead of the airport which came
out in second place, Palma de Mallorca. The
profit there in 2009 was 37.8 million €.

by José Blanco to share their management
between central and regional administrations
and private investors. It’s understood that
Valencia’s Manises Airport, which lost 1.2 million
last year, is also out.
Capacity at El Altet will almost double when
work on building the new terminal is completed,
increasing annual capacity up from 12.2 to 20
million users. It’s expected to open at the end
of next year.

El Altet, however, will not be included in the plan
for a new Spanish airports system announced

Moorish City Unearthed In
Murcia To Be Protected
The remains of a Moorish city discovered in
Murcia, under threat until a month ago by a
controversial project for a new underground
car park, are to be protected as a BIC cultural
asset and an archaeological site.

de San Esteban in Murcia city centre is the
remains of more than 50 houses, 7 palaces
and even a small mosque, which are believed
to date from the 13th Century during the time
that Murcia was occupied by the Moors.

The regional government took the decision
last Monday after a meeting with experts who
have been advising on how best to preserve
the site. The regional councillor for culture,
Pedro Alberto Cruz, commented that a new
foundation is to be set up, the Foundation for
Mediaeval Murcia, to oversee and seek funding
for the San Esteban dig and conversation
project.

Work on the car park was only halted after
weeks of protests over City Hall’s plans to
remove the remains and reposition them
above the car park once construction was
completed.
News of the BIC declaration was greeted by
a member of the platform which has defended
the site’s protection with the words, ‘We have
won every battle and also the war’.

BRITISH band The Arctic Monkeys will be
joined by supporting acts Lightspeed Champion
and Fuzzy White Casters during their free
concert in Valencia next month.

The former, a newly-formed group, has held
concerts in Valencia and London and they
describe themselves on their MySpace page as
‘frenetic and colourful’.

The UK rockers are due to perform on
February 13 at the City of Arts and Sciences,
Valencia’s futuristic exhibition complex.

Lightspeed Champion is headed up by Texan
Devonte Hynes, and are established artists in
the States.

It forms part of the city’s annual MTV Winter
festival, which attracted 38,000 spectators last
year with The Cure and a similar number in 2008
with Franz Ferdinand. On both occasions, the
MTV Winter festival was aired on live television
in 47 countries and netted 134 million viewers
around the globe.
In addition to The Arctic Monkeys’ own show,
tracks will be performed by Valencian group
Fuzzy White Casters and US-based band
Lightspeed Champion.

The British group, led by Alex Turner, will
perform in Madrid and Barcelona before
heading to Valencia. Their tour is to promote
their third album, Humbug, but they will also
perform some of the much-loved tracks that
made them famous back in 2006, when they
were just 20 years old.
The Arctic Monkeys will follow UK band
Mystery Jets onto the stage, as well as the
aforementioned supporting acts.

Winds of over 100kmph across the country
recently caused widespread damage to
buildings and trees and left a number of
people injured.

Galicia saw gusts of up to 120kmph both
along the coastline and inland, which swept
down trees, power cables and telephone lines
and left three people injured.
The Basque Country was also affected by
the violent gusts of wind, with three people
being injured in San Sebastian, and road, rail
and air travel all suffering delays.
The high winds in the Comunidad
Valenciana, especially in the province of
Valencia where they reached 113kmph, left

at least ten people with various injuries and
23,000 pupils without lessons.
According to the weather service in
Valencia, these winds were the most severe
since February 1989, when five people died.
Two of the injured were children, who were
kept in hospital overnight under observation.
One was hit by a falling lamppost and the
other by the cornice from a building.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

UKIP Chief Calls
For Burka Ban

War Rules Rewritten, Says General
The rules of war have been rewritten by the challenges of Despite the need for hi-tech equipment, he also insists more
fighting insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, the head of the Army Army manpower is necessary.
has said. Gen Sir David Richards called for more investment in However, Gen Richards expects significant spending cuts in the
hi-tech equipment such as spy planes and cyber-defences to shift
upcoming defence review and says that while Britain still needs
away from “old war fighting”.
ships, aircraft and tanks, there may have to be fewer of them.
His views come amid the backdrop of a defence review after
BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said: “Gen Sir David
the general election and potential spending cuts. Gen Richards
Richards says the UK has been in denial ever since the end of the
is expected to elaborate on these ideas in a speech later. He
will address the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Cold War on how future wars are likely to be fought.
“He believes Britain’s enemies will have seen from Iraq and
London.
He is thought to believe future conflicts will be fought in increasingly Afghanistan that for relatively little cost, opponents with cheap
hi-tech ways and that the threat of cyber-attacks against Britain’s weaponry can pose a deadly threat - with future opponents likely
to use similar tactics.”
infrastructure mean radical change is unavoidable.

Sport

Gen Richards has compared it to the moment British forces She added that all three service chiefs will be outlining their
realised they had to phase out cavalry on horseback in favour of different visions for the future as the defence review draws closer
using tanks in World War I.
and the battle for resources intensifies.

But Schools Secretary Ed Balls said it was “not British”
to tell people what to wear in the street, and accused
UKIP of indulging in “unpleasant politics”.
Some European countries, including France, are
debating banning the burka, but the issue has sparked
controversy when it has been raised in the UK.
UKIP is the first British party to call for a total ban, after
the BNP called for it to be banned in Britain’s schools.

Haiti Quake: Death Toll May Be 200,000
The leading US general in Haiti has said it is
a “reasonable assumption” that up to 200,000
people may have died in last Tuesday’s
earthquake.

Rescuers pulled more people alive from the
rubble at the weekend, but at least 70,000
people have already had burials.

Ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage, who leads UKIP’s 13
MEPs in Brussels, told the BBC’s Politics Show they were
a symbol of an “increasingly divided Britain”. He also said
they “oppressed” women and were a potential security
threat.

Lt Gen Ken Keen said the disaster was of “epic
proportions”, but it was “too early to know” the
full human cost.

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The burka and other face-covering veils worn by Muslim
women should be banned, the UK Independence Party
says.

Relief efforts are being slowed by bottlenecks,
and many thousands of survivors are fending
for themselves.
Many Haitians are trying to leave the
devastated capital city of Port-au-Prince, and
there are security concerns amid reports of
looting and violence.
More than 2,000 US marines were expected
to arrive in the region this week to bolster US

troops and UN peacekeepers already on the
ground.
On Monday, European Union nations pledged
200m€ ($287m; £176m) from the EU budget to
help rebuilding efforts in Haiti.
Ministers were also discussing deploying
a security mission to help maintain law and
order.
On 17th January, UN Secretary General Ban
Ki-moon appealed to frustrated Haitians to be
patient over efforts to bring them relief.
Gen Keen, running the US military relief
effort, when asked about death toll estimates
between 150,000 and 200,000 people, said: “I
think the international community is looking at
those figures, and I think that’s a start point.
Clearly, this is a disaster of epic proportions,
and we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”

UK Government Plans To Aid
Social Mobility To Be Unveiled
Labour is promising to help up to 130,000 Labour’s plans for social mobility - which
of the “brightest” young people from would depend on it winning the general
poorer families with getting to college and election - were part of Gordon Brown’s
university.
attempts to “portray Labour as the party of
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said they aspiration”.
would get a “structured package of support”
Meanwhile, as the two main parties battle to
from 2012, to help break the “glass ceiling of
win the middle-class vote ahead of the election
social mobility”.
expected in May, the Conservatives are calling
He also pledged to set up a Social Mobility
for teaching to become a “brazenly elitist”
Commission, to report later.
profession, restricted to the best graduates.
Labour says it wants to encourage top
professions and universities to attract more In his response to Mr Milburn’s report, Mr
Brown said: “My mission is to ensure that all of
people from deprived backgrounds.
Its proposals follow a report by former Britain’s people, from every background, are
cabinet minister Alan Milburn’s report saying given the opportunity to develop their talents
areas like medicine and law were dominated and learn the skills which will transform their
by people from affluent families.
lives.”

UK Economy Faces Decade Of
‘Painful Readjustment’
The UK economy faces a decade of “painful
readjustment” as it refocuses from debt-led
consumer spending to increased exports, a
study has warned. That is the conclusion of the
latest quarterly report from the Ernst & Young
Item Club economic forecasting group.
“After a decade of relying on the domestic
consumer, firms have to start chasing overseas
customers,” said Peter Spencer, its chief
economic adviser.

on a sustained upturn in the world economy,
and upon the energy and enterprise of UK
exporters of our prized goods and services.”
He added that this need for the economy
to refocus from the domestic consumer to
increased global trade was going to be “very
challenging”.

The Item Club warns UK economic growth
will struggle to hit 1% this year.

To help drive exports, Prof Spencer said the
UK needs to focus on China “where we have
an exceptionally low market share compared
to our leading competitors”, and other Asian
countries.

“The consumer is completely cashed out with consumer spending likely to increase by
just 0.4% this year,” said Professor Spencer.
“[Economic] growth is almost totally dependent

However, on a positive note, the Item Club
sees exports starting to pick up in 2011, when
it predicts they will grow by 9%, rising to 10%
in 2012.

Blair To Face Iraq Inquiry
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair will give the former defence secretary Geoff Hoon and
evidence to the Iraq inquiry on 29 January, it Justice Secretary Jack Straw, who was serving
as foreign secretary in 2003.
has been announced.
Mr Blair, the highest profile figure to appear The ballot for the appearance by Mr Blair is
before the panel, will face six hours of for 60 seats, with a third of the places being
set aside for bereaved families of service
questioning.
A public ballot will be held for people wanting personnel or other Britons killed in Iraq.

Last week Mr Blair’s former director of
communications Alastair Campbell appeared
Mr Blair, prime minister during the Iraq war
before the panel.
in 2003, is expected to answer questions
about the build-up to war and planning for He said he defended “every single word” of
its aftermath. His former Downing Street the 2002 dossier on Iraq’s weapons of mass
chief-of-staff Jonathan Powell will face the destruction.
seats to watch his evidence session.

committee, chaired by Sir John Chilcot, later The inquiry is looking at UK policy before
on Monday. He will be followed this week by and after the 2003 war.

Police Reopen 1974 Murder Case
Cold case detectives are re-investigating a
36-year-old unsolved murder using the latest
scientific forensic DNA techniques.
Twenty-year-old student Glenis Carruthers
was found strangled outside Bristol Zoo on 19
January 1974.
Evidence from the crime scene including
her clothing is being re-examined in Forensic
Science Service laboratories.
Avon and Somerset Police’s major crime
review team are also making a new appeal for
information.
Television presenter John Craven, who
reported on the case for BBC Points West news
at the time of the murder, has returned to the
scene of the crime to investigate for the BBC
programme Inside Out West.

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Carter told
him: “Forensic advances have moved on
so much that we are hoping to get a profile
which we will then compare with those on the
national database.
“The person who murdered Glenis Carruthers
may have thought he had got away with this
after all these years but we are determined to
try to track him down.”
Dr Colin Dark, senior forensic scientist, said:
“In 1985 when DNA was first introduced as
a technique we had to deal with body fluid
material but there have been significant
advances in the sensitivity of the processes.
“Now we can get DNA profiles from stains
that we can’t even see and we can also look
for contact-style DNA where someone has just
touched an object.”

‘Bleak Future’ For Universities

The UK’s universities are facing the “bleakest
time since the Thatcher cuts of the 1980s”,
warns the chairman of a group of leading
institutions.

Leeds University vice chancellor and
Russell Group chairman, Michael Arthur, said
universities could be forced to close, along
with many courses.

Higher education minister David Lammy
said spending on frontline teaching would be
protected by savings on buildings and making
efficiency measures.
“The suggestion that the savings we have
asked from universities will bring higher
education ‘to its knees’ is as surprising as it is
misleading,” he said.

Universities are facing cuts of more than
£900m over the next three years and higher
education groups have used forecasts from
the Institute of Fiscal Studies to argue that
they are likely to suffer from even deeper
public spending cuts in the future.

Currently around £15bn is invested into
higher education every year, he said. He
added that teaching and research funding even after the £180m efficiency savings and
the reductions in December’s grant - would
grow between 2009/10 and 2010/11.

TV presenter Myleene Klass has said she has
“no regrets” after being warned by police for
waving a knife at youths who entered her back
garden.
The former pop star was in the kitchen when
she spotted the teenagers and grabbed a knife
and banged the windows in an effort to get
them to leave.
She says Hertfordshire Police officers told
her that brandishing an “offensive weapon”
was illegal.
But a police spokeswoman said that “at no
point” were any warnings given.
The 31-year-old was at her Potters Bar home
on Friday with her daughter upstairs when she
spotted the youths peering into the house.
Klass said: “It was a scary incident but I’ve
got no regrets as to how I reacted. I think I
did what any other mother would do. This is
my house and that’s my daughter up there and
I will do anything to protect my daughter and
my family. That’s what I did.”

Revenue & Customs
‘Missed 44m Calls’
HM Revenue and Customs failed to answer
about 44 million phone calls last year,
Whitehall’s spending watchdog says.
The National Audit Office called the
performance of 31 customer “contact
centres” during 2008/09 “unacceptable”.
Despite employing the equivalent of
10,500 full-time staff at a cost of £233m, it
still failed to pick up 43% of the 103 million
calls received.
HMRC said its performance had improved
in 2009-10 and that it was “committed” to
providing a better, cheaper service.
During the busiest periods of the year
- such as the tax credit renewals peak in
July - just one in three calls was actually
answered, the National Audit Office (NAO)
said.
Callers who did get through had to wait an
average two minutes for a reply - or almost
four minutes if they were ringing at peak
times.

www.lloydwhyteintl.com

8

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

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AUAN press release

NEW DEMOLITION ORDER FOR
ALBOX COMES TO LIGHT

12th January 2010: A ninth demolition order was received by a family in the
La Aljambra area of Albox today in a case completely unconnected with the
“Albox 8”. How many more can we expect to come out of the woodwork?
When will they learn that this is the road to ruin for everybody?

Public Protest
The demonstration in Almería yesterday
was a great success and we would like to
thank all 700 who turned up to support us.
It was especially good to have our numbers
swelled by groups from Levante, Valencia,
Catral, Axarquia and Malaga. We attracted
a lot of sympathetic press coverage here in
Spain, and in the UK the Daily Mail, the
Express and the Daily Telegraph continue
to cover the story.
Publicising our plight is one of the most
effective ways we have to get the politicians
and bureaucrats round a table to sort out a
solution to this scandalous situation. All
we ask is that those who bought property
here in good faith be treated justly.
Politics and Diplomacy
The British Ambassador has written
to the regional president to express his
concern and the British Consul (Steve
Jones) is planning to speak to the victims
personally.
The Izquierda Unida (United Left) party
has kindly facilitated a meeting with the
Defensor del Pueblo (Spanish Ombudsman)
in Seville on Friday. The Defensor del
Pueblo supervises the activities of public
administrations and reports to Parliament.
We will present up-to-date information

about the extent of the problem here and
ask for an independent view.

Our current aim
We believe that the only way to sort out
this mess is for a working party to be set
up involving political parties, associations
and those involved in the property market
to analyse the perilous state of Spanish
property, the environment and urban
planning. This working party should
propose a framework law to clean the mess
up. We will ask the Ombudsman’s help in
this. We believe that this is the only way
to get to the root of the problem, which
will otherwise go on for years, with many,
many more victims on the way. We will
press for this law to be in force prior to the
next local elections in 2011.

Junta de Andalucia
The regional government have been
largely silent on the issue passing the
hot potato to the provincial delegate for
Housing and Territorial planning, Luis
Caparrós whose best effort is to suggest
that the demolition notices in Albox could
be delayed using the same legal argument
applied in Vera to temporarily suspend
the demolition notice which was due for
execution on the 12th of January. With
this faint advice he went on to abandon

the fate of the 8 (now 9) houses in Albox to
the town council who must find a solution
through the town plans and to the AUAN
who must find a solution through the
courts. This is called “passing the buck”.
A very small response to a very big
problem! Clearly, the Junta are not
listening. It appears that they insist on
ruining the whole area. For the sake of
everybody who lives here, we cannot, and
must not, accept this.
If they are not listening we must shout
louder. Contact info@almanzora-au.org

or call 646 506 943

AUAN LATEST NEWS...
15th January 2010: Response of HM
Government to questions raised in the House
of Lords.
In response to submissions from the
AUN to the House of Lords, Lord Burnett,
Vice-chair of the Legal and Constitutional
affairs group raised questions to the House
of Lords on the 28th October with respect
to urban abuse in Spain.
15th January 2010: Open Letter from Michael
Cashman MEP to the President of Spain
Go to www.almanzora-au.org to read
both articles in full.

A Supreme Ruling

By Howard Brereton

The Spanish Supreme Court considers that real estate development
in Spain has become a disaster

An interesting sentence in the
Supreme Court this week which
considered that in the face of the
‘lack of action and discipline from
the administration’, penal law can be
turned to against the ‘town planning
disaster’ which is destroying Spain.
The statement came as part of the
proceedings against the ex Mayor of
Andraitx on Mallorca, Eugenio Hidalgo,
who claimed at the time, that he did not
know that his own home was illegal,
but whose four year prison sentence
has now been confirmed by the upper
court.
Many people will consider the
recognition that so much real estate
development is indeed a disaster has
come too late for Spain, but it surely is a
landmark for the court to consider that
as the administration has not acted,
penal law can.
There are items in the Spanish
Constitution which protect natural
resources and the environment, with
the idea of protecting and improving
the quality of life, and they note that
penal charges can be brought against
those who do not respect this.
Now the Supreme Court considers
that citizens in general are ‘victims’
from such developments, noting that
one single building can represent a
grave attack against the landscape.
It was beyond the remit of the Supreme
Court however on this occasion to
consider the rights of the individual
who, though poor legal advice or none
at all, has been duped into buying
property in such an illegally-built
development.
The case of Len and Helen Prior in
Almería immediately comes to mind,
and note here too the Constitutional

Court has ruled that the order which
led to their home’s demolition was
itself an illegal one. The Priors were
denied their right to effective judicial
protection.
And remember too the damning EU
report from Danish Green Euro M.P.,
Margrete Auken, who has made it
more than clear just how extensive a
problem real estate irregularity is in
Spain. We can only lament that the call
in her report for EU funds to Spain to
be frozen until something is done was
not a legally binding one.
Three different sources then, all
agreeing that things must change,
but meanwhile the local and regional
administrations appear to go their
own merry way doing little or nothing,
or, perhaps worst still, cheery picking
which buildings should be pulled down.
Meanwhile judges at a local level still
fail to stop even more illegal building
and different levels of government
disagree about what is or is not illegal
anyway.
While this mess continues more and
more foreign investment in property
will move elsewhere, faced with the
legal uncertainties and bad press left
by the building bubble burst.
Clear general and well explained
actions are urgently needed and then
must be enforced, but I fail to see how
such actions will ever be coordinated
across all the bodies involved.
It would be nice to think that the
Supreme Court statements this
week will lead somehow in the right
direction, but I somehow doubt it. At
least admitting the problem exists must
be on the way to doing something about
it. Could a development ombudsman be
appointed I wonder?

LIVING IN SPAIN...LIVING IN SPAIN...LIVING IN SPAIN... LIVING IN SPAIN...LIVING IN SPAIN...LIVING IN SPAIN...

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

IN and around spain.. in and around espana..

Sepúlveda

Hidden within the impressive canyons in ‘Las Hoces del Río
Duratón’ National Park, Sepúlveda is one of the prettiest villages
in the province of Segovia with just one thousand inhabitants.
Easily accessible and in an extraordinarily
beautiful setting, Sepúlveda is an ideal
location to spend a day or even a weekend.
There are a number of accommodation
possibilities from small hotels to rural
houses; retaining its authenticity, the
village, so far, remains unaffected by
tourism yet there’s great restaurants,
local crafts shops and even a museums to
occupy your time.
Sepúlveda is home to the largest colony of
vultures in Europe. Almost 600 pairs of these
birds have found a home in its rocky canyons
which provide an ideal habitat for them to
build their nests in. The birds form part of
the attractive panoramic views and can be
seen flying over the village.

Iglesia de la Virgen de la Peña
This church dates back to the 12th century
and is located in the highest part of the village
offering panoramic views of the canyons.
There is a park next to the church.

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Iglesia del Salvador
11th century church with a Segovian
facade.
Iglesia de los Santos Justo y Pastor
This church has recently been repaired.
National Park of the River Duratón
Situated only 13kms from Sepúlveda, this
is made up of ‘las hoces’ (canyons) some
measuring more than 70 metres which follow
the river for 25kms. This national park takes

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What to see & do…
Centro de Interpretación de las Hoces del
Río Duratón
Located in the old Roman church called
Iglesia Santiago, this centre has an excellent
exhibition, appealing to both adults and
children, on various aspects of the national
park. The renovation work that has been
carried out on the church in order to adapt
it for use as an exhibition centre has been
very tastefully done by retaining the Roman
arches and beauty of the original building.
The exhibition has a webcam and a screen
where you can see close ups of the vultures’
nests. If you are lucky you can even see eggs
hatch if you visit from December-February.
The staff at the centre area very helpful and
can offer advice on routes and itineraries to
follow in the Park

part in the LIFE scheme run by the EU aimed
at conserving and promoting natural areas of
special interest.
Where to eat…
The village has various bars and small
restaurants where you can get traditional
dishes especially roast meat (usually lamb)
and stews. Recommended are Restaurante
Cristóbal, Conde Sepúlveda 9, and Fogón de
Azogue which is part of Hotel Vado del Duratón.
There is a magnificent restaurant just half an
hour’s drive away in Torrecaballeros called
La Portada del Mediodía too.
Fiestas in Sepúlveda
The village fiestas take place on the 29th
and 30th September also the last weekend of
August they have bull running and bull fights
very typical to this part of Spain.

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10

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

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Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

www.screenmasters.es

Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

I have discovered some unique, subtle ailments, specific to
Spain. They are not mentioned in any Development Company
brochures, which only extol an idyllic lifestyle in a land of
permanent sunshine.

Olive
bow
l
E
s
’
Picker

Nor will any health booklet even hint at
them, preferring to terrify us with the
Spanish for Gastroenteritis, and how to
insist on a bed-bath before breakfast in
a foreign language.
Lifestyle publications are equally silent on the
subject; they are heavy on advice on Fiestas and
Siestas, but woefully lacking in information about
the Perils of Provincial Life.

But I speak with the voice of experience,
which started with Cactus Finger. This
incredibly painful condition afflicts
anyone who wishes to eat a Prickly
Pear without due caution and a pair of
tongs. It is not the spikes you see that cause the damage,
it is the ones you don’t see!

Then there is Almond Harvester’s Neck. Several hours of
looking up into the tree, whilst simultaneously beating the

11

branches with a long cane to dislodge the almonds, will certainly
cause this in the unsuspecting.
Just when you have recovered full mobility in your neck it is
time for Fig Back. Fig trees are big and figs are soft, so there
is no other way to collect them other than to wait for them to
fall and then pick them up off the ground. By now, however, you
should have laid in a good store of Ibuprofen, so you will have
the remedy to hand.
But the most unexpected ailment was Olive Picker’s Elbow.
Olive trees are just the right height, not too far up, not too near
the ground. It is a peaceful job, standing upright and chatting
pleasantly in the sunshine whilst gently combing the branches
with the purpose-built tool for the job. The olives give in with
grace, falling obediently onto the nets spread beneath the
tree.
But don’t be fooled. Next morning you will have an entirely
different form of Repetitive Strain Injury! Now where did I put
the Ibuprofen?
By Jos Biggs

Share your ailments with Jos by sending an email to editor@
soltimes.com

…and in light of ‘Olive Picker’s Elbow’, is it all worth the effort? Well, YES!
The
greatest
exponent
of
monounsaturated fat is olive oil, and it is
a prime component of the Mediterranean
Diet. Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that
can be consumed as it is - freshly pressed
from the fruit.
The beneficial health effects of olive
oil are due to both its high content of
monounsaturated fatty acids and its high
content of anti-oxidative substances.
Studies have shown that olive oil offers
protection against heart disease by
controlling LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels
while raising HDL (the “good” cholesterol)
levels. No other naturally produced oil has
as large an amount of monounsaturated

as olive oil -mainly oleic acid.
Olive oil is very well-tolerated by the
stomach. In fact, olive oil’s protective
function has a beneficial effect on ulcers
and gastritis. Olive oil activates the
secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones
much more naturally than prescribed drugs.
Consequently, it lowers the incidence of
gallstone formation.
Olive oil & heart disease
Studies have shown that people who
consumed 25ml - about 2 tablespoons - of
virgin olive oil daily for 1 week showed less
oxidation of LDL cholesterol and higher
levels of antioxidant compounds, particularly
phenols, in the blood. But while all types of

olive oil are sources of monounsaturated
fat, EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil, from the first
pressing of the olives, contains higher
levels of antioxidants, particularly vitamin E
and phenols, because it is less processed.
Olive oil is clearly one of the good oils, one
of the healing fats.
Types of Olive Oil
Generally, olive oil is extracted by
pressing or crushing olives. Olive oil comes
in different varieties, depending on the
amount of processing involved. Varieties
include:
Extra virgin - considered the best,
least processed, comprising the oil from

the first pressing of the olives.
Virgin - from the second pressing.
Pure - undergoes some processing,
such as filtering and refining.
Extra light - undergoes considerable
processing and only retains a very mild
olive flavour
When buying olive oil you will want to
obtain high quality EXTRA VIRGIN oil. The
oil that comes from the first “pressing” of
the olive, is extracted without using heat (a
cold press) or chemicals, and has no “off”
flavours is awarded “extra virgin” status.
The less the olive oil is handled, the closer
to its natural state, the better the oil. If the
olive oil meets all the criteria, it can be
designated as “extra virgin”.

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SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

g
n
i
h
T
e
t
i
r
T he W

There are two certainties in life

“Death and Taxes”
Death cannot be avoided and in Spain the issues and
legalities surrounding death are completely different
from your home country.
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Local offices and representatives
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The above benefits provide you the customer with
peace of mind and a pre-paid funeral plan from SPN
is a solid investment - Makes you think, doesn’t it?
Pricing starts at

Maybe you spent your working years in a
job or profession that demanded all your
time and energy. Now, at last you have the
time – and hopefully the energy – to fulfil
your dream of being a writer. But where do
you begin? Well, it’s always a good idea to
begin at the beginning! This means making
a conscious effort to understand the craft of
the writer and how better to do this than to
read? We read purely for pleasure most of
the time, it’s about getting lost in the plot
and enjoying the escapism. Yet if we read
with purpose and attention we begin to
recognize literary devices and the personal
style or ‘voice’ of the author.

950 633 086

Prices are subject to change without notification. Please confirm on booking. We reserve the right to withdraw offers at any time.

In order to discover our own writer’s voice
it’s important to know what works for you
and what doesn’t. Take a book written by
someone you really admire. Study the style
and notice how the author achieves her/his
goal. How does s/he build suspense, say? Or,
how does s/he manage to get you emotionally
involved with the characters, even identify
with them? How do they use dialogue, for
example? Observe whether they write in
a formal style with proper punctuation
and a clearly defined structure. Maybe
your favourite author writes in a ‘streamof-consciousness’ way like Virginia Woolf?
Cormack McCarthy (The Road) often uses
no formal punctuation in his dialogue, yet it
flows very well. James Joyce famously used
this ‘stream-of-consciousness’ technique in
Ulysses, but it helps to understand why you
are using a certain structure, it shouldn’t be
random. Whatever the technique, it needs
to be communicating efficiently; it’s the
vehicle for your thoughts.
Compare different styles. Borrow or buy
books that are outside your usual reading
material and see what it is you like or dislike
about them. By becoming aware of what
works you will begin to find your own means
of expression. Experiment, try writing the
same thing using different styles and see
which works best for you. Let others to read
what you’ve written and ask which they
prefer.

‘the write thing’ meets weekly on Wednesday morning, if you would like
to join us Phone Kate: 950 46 95 40 or email ask-kat@terra.es

Another
Year of F aith
or F ear
A

nother year slipped down into
the numbered pool of days
Eased in with tears and laughter, with
crushed dreams and hopes ablaze,
All nestled in the bottom of a past that
cannot change
And fear and faith on tiptoe face a
year both new and strange.
The fearful see more darkness for the
past has taught them well,
The problems will remain the same
and life will still be hell,
Because, for them, there is no God
with arms held open wide
Who promises to heal their hurts and
be their trusted guide?
He isn’t real or relevant to anything
today
And so the New Year will repeat the
wounds of yesterday.

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Writers are not necessarily born, though
having a natural talent and developing
it is the most obvious way to authorial
success. However, there are many of us
who have long nursed a secret desire to
write and who come to writing later in
life. It is not impossible to become a
published author even if you feel you’ve
left it a bit late in the day. Recently, I
was pleasantly surprised to be shown a
newspaper cutting about a ninety three
year old lady who had just had not only one
but two books published simultaneously!
This lady had found herself in a care home
and had passed her time telling stories
to a lady who was losing her sight and
could no longer read. I found this very
encouraging and inspiring.

Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

Should death occur in Spain
- would you know what to do?

The faithful celebrate the day - they
know that God is there
And anything that needs to change,
they’ll give to Him in prayer
And He will help them sort the things
they could not sort alone,
So they rejoice to face a year of reaping
what they’ve sown.
They’re looking up expectantly because
they know it’s true

y
r
t
e
o
P
Corner

That one day He will come again and
just make all things new,
To them it’s not a pipe dream or a
fantasy or such
They’ve seen Him take the hopeless
things and change them with a touch.

They know the word ‘impossible’ no
longer means a thing
Because their lives are in the Hands of
Heaven’s mighty king
So will you face this year with faith?
Or will it still be fear?
Are you excited waiting for His coming
to draw near?
Or do you see the endless days
repeating what they’ve done,
With all the worries that you could
have cast upon God’s Son?
Stop marking time until the day there
is no year ahead,
Don’t make it count for nothing till you
face the day you dread,
There is a great adventure just for you
to take in hand
And awesome things you can achieve
with what the Lord has planned.
There never was a soul like you; and
never this New Year
But as it spreads before you, you must
choose with faith or fear.

Burns Suppers have been part of
Scottish culture for about 200 years as
a means of commemorating the birth of
Robert Burns.
Burns Suppers range from ostentatiously
formal gatherings of aesthetes and
scholars to uproariously informal raveups of drunkards and louts. Most Burns
Suppers fall in the middle of this range,
and adhere, more or less, to some sort
of time honoured form which includes
the eating of a traditional Scottish meal,
the drinking of Scotch whisky, and the
recitation of works by, about, and in the
spirit of the Bard!
And when Burns immortalised haggis
in verse he created a central link that is
maintained to this day.

BIOGRAPHY
Robert Burns was born at Alloway, near Ayr,
on 25 January 1759. His father William was a
gardener to the Provost of Ayr. Robert was
educated briefly at John Murdoch’s school in
Alloway and later in Ayr.
Family financial worries forced Burns to
work as a farm labourer, and it was while
thus occupied that he met his first love, Nelly
Kirkpatrick. She inspired him to try his hand
at poetry, a song entitled “O, once I lov’d a
bonnie lass”, set to the tune of a traditional
reel.
Burns worked at a succession of labouring
jobs, including flax dressing, and began
writing poetry regularly. When his father died
in 1784, Burns and his brother Gilbert rented
a farm near Mauchline.
Burns spread his affections freely, and the
next decade saw 8 illegitimate children born
to him through 5 different women. One of
these, Jean Armour, became Mrs. Burns in
1788.

SUCCESS
The first published work of poetry by Robert
Burns was “Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish
Dialect” which saw the light of day on 31 July
1786. This collection of verse contained many
of Burn’s best works, including “To a Mouse”,
and “The Holy Fair”.
The success of “Poems, Chiefly in the
Scottish Dialect” convinced Burns to abandon
plans to emigrate to Jamaica. Buoyed by
his burgeoning reputation as an unschooled
“ploughman poet”, Burns moved to Edinburgh
and became part of the thriving cultural
scene there.
He was unable to find a patron to support
his writing, but publisher James Johnson gave
him work editing a collection of Scottish folk
songs. This work, titled “The Scots Musical
Museum”, was published in 5 volumes over
sixteen years. Burns himself contributed
over 150 songs, including “Auld Lang Syne”, a
reworking of an earlier folk song of unknown
origin.
Burns and his wife Jean moved to Mauchline,
where in 1790 he produced “Tam o’ Shanter”,
which was first published merely as an
accompaniment to an illustration of Alloway
Kirk, in a volume of “Antiquities of Scotland”.
The growing Burns family moved again, this
time to Dumfries.
Burns contributed 114 songs to “A Select
Collection Of Scottish Airs” by George
Thomson, but he received very little payment
for his efforts. In 1795, Burns was inspired by
the events of the French Revolution to write

Address
To A
Haggis!
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm :
Weel are ye wordy o’a grace
As lang’s my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin’, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’
strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit! hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad make her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as wither’d rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle.
Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer
Gie her a haggis!
“For a’ that and a’ that”, his cry for human
equality.
One year later, on July 21, 1796, Burns was
dead of rheumatic fever. He was buried in the
churchyard of St. Michael’s in Dumfries, even
as his wife Jean was in childbirth with their
ninth child.

LEGACY
Robert Burns gained more fame after his
death than he ever did during his lifetime.
Many of his songs and poems have become
international favourites - even among those
who find his use of Scottish lowland dialect
difficult to decipher!

Open to members and non-members

www.mojacarwindows.es

14

When responding to an advertisement remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

Beauty Buy’s For 2010

Lash fantastic…
We all want something different from our mascaras be it volume, length, definition or
a waterproof alternative. Fortunately Max Factor’s Masterpiece mascara has a version for
each and every one of these requests and at a price that won’t break the bank either. The specially
designed IFX wand coats each lash individually, framing the eye beautifully, and the results
won’t budge all day.
Max Factor Masterpiece mascara, £8.99 available on-line from www.boots.com

A helping hand…
L’Occitane’s bestselling Shea Butter hand cream is a godsend. It manages to be both
thick and creamy, as well as being easily absorbed. We love the oil-paint style tubes and
the sweet smells of honey, almond and coconut, but most of all we adore how soft this
cream leaves our hands however hard we’ve worked them.
Shea Butter hand cream, £16.50, available online from www.ukwww.es.loccitane.com
or www.es.loccitane.com
Anti-aging wonder…
Designed to target the three areas of the face most affected by
ageing, the eyes, jaw-line and neck, Olay’s first super cream has
proven incredibly popular and with good reason. Easily used night or day, the cream
produces noticeably younger-looking, softer skin quickly. A classic in the
making.
Olay Regenerist 3 point treatment cream, £29.99 available online from
www.boots.com
All-purpose cream…
The original multi-tasking beauty product, Elizabeth Arden’s 8 hour cream, remains a staple of many a
makeup bag. Just a small amount of this soothing cream is required to ease dry, chapped skin all over
the body, making it a winter must-have that continues to be useful all year round.
Elizabeth Arden 8 hour Cream Skin Protectant, £22, Elizabeth Arden available online from www.boots.
com

Sol Passion Wellness starts from within
tanning & beauty studio
• Look Great for Less

Sophia Wellness Centre Arboleas is gearing up for a busy start
to the year with some exciting new editions to the business.

With many years experience in her field of work, Clare
Gale from the Natural Health Centre really helps people
with a wide range of health problems, including, IBS, Joint
pain, Hormonal imbalances, Skin Conditions, Headaches,
Migraines, Weight Loss and much more.
Clare Gale is now working in association with Sophia offering
services including Food Intolerance Testing, Nutritional
testing, Hormone balance and much more. Specialist in areas
like digestive problems, Clare now has 8 clinics along the
Costa Blanca and Costa Calida, and has for 2 years running
won the award for Best Holistic Therapist.
Clare gave a talk at the Sophia Wellness Centre on Tuesday
12th January to kick start the New Year. Clare gave free
nutrition tests to those who came along and listened to a
very informative talk on her work. Explaining about exercise

and the metabolism, nutrition and food intolerances, Clare
can advice on what we should be eating in order to help with
particular issues that we may face.
Many people know they have health problems and often
put off going to find out what could be the cause. When
we look at the individual and see what imbalances there are,
we can bring about changes that can eliminate symptoms.
It might be that changes in diet or maybe supplementation
maybe needed. Deficiencies are common place, we may eat a
good balanced diet, but often many of us become deficient
due to stress, ill health or medication that can cause our
bodies to not absorb the nutrients correctly or go on to
cause side effects that are equally as troublesome.
Working with state of the art computer analysis
equipment, the results are instant and painless.

If you are looking to improve your health for 2010 and would like some advice
please call Sophia Wellness Centre Arboleas on 950 44 94 51

Almeria
Angels

Making your Life Easier

Tel: 665 017 950
almeriaangels@yahoo.com
www.almeriaangels.com

Do you need an English Nurse or Care at Home?

Almeria Angels are dedicated professional caring agency working
in Almanzora Valley providing individual care packages to all our
clients within their homes or during hospital stays.
Now
Home Visits : We visit you in the comfort of your own Carin
g in
home, this can be on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
the Costa
Hospital Visits : We can assist you in any visit Calida
you may have to the hospital, pick up service
Area!
available on request.

AFTER CHRISTMAS SALES IS A SERIOUS BUSINESS
Although it seems like there are never-ending sales on these day’s there
are always genuine bargains available in the sales after Christmas - as
long as you are prepared in advance. Here are 5 tips to help you.
1. Preparation, Preparation,
Preparation
Spend at least half an hour reviewing your
current wardrobe. What will see you through
to the end of Winter? What needs to go right
now? How can you update for Spring?
Make a list. Stick to it! Oh yes and remember
those vouchers you had as presents.
2. Scoring System
Not sure if it’s quite what you want?
Get into the habit of giving prospective
purchases marks out of 10. Walk away for
a minute. Anything below an 8 isn’t worth
your hard-earned cash or those vouchers.
Keep looking till you find your 10/10.
3. Classical Looks
Now is not the time to stock up on gypsy
skirts and knitted shrugs. Avoid current or
passing trends in favour of classic, timeless
pieces. Use your vouchers but don’t be afraid
to add some extra out of your hard earned

cash it you think it scores 10/10.
4. Success in Shopping is No
Shopping!
Can’t find anything on your list? Resist
the temptation to buy items just for the
sake of having a bag to take home. If you
really can’t stand the idea of leaving empty
handed, allow yourself a small treat, such as
an accessory. Have a budget in mind here,
too. Don’t waste your vouchers.
5. Be a Smarty Pants
Remember that a bargain is only a bargain
if you use it! That full-length evening dress
may look divine on the hanger, but how many
Black Tie functions do you actually attend?
Make sure your purchases fit your lifestyle,
personality and figure. Lots of shops have
an exchange-only policy on sales purchases,
so shop wisely. To indulge your extravagant
side, leave your purse at home and do some
serious fantasy shopping.

Elizabeth Sanderson is a qualified Life Coach and Performance Coach and is always happy to discuss this or other aspects of Life Coaching absolutely free of charge.
She can be contacted in confidence on 965 725 695, 630 752 473 or by email on mycoaching4u@hotmail.com

Row Yourself
Into Shape
Build full-body muscle
and blast away fat on the
rowing machine.
fast you are going – essentially how hard
you are working – and can measure your
progress and see how you are improving
from week to week.
As your endurance training improves
you’ll start to see peripheral aerobic
adaptations
such
as
increased
capillarisation (meaning an increase
in the rate at which blood and oxygen
can be transported to and used by the
muscles) and increased blood volume
(which also improves oxygen transport
to the muscles). Together, an increase in
capillarisation and blood volume means
that muscles can work harder for longer.
Total-body workout
Looking for the best way to kick off your 2010 fitness regime? The
unlikely answer may be to sit down in a corner of the gym. Rowing is
a total-body workout; you are working all of the large muscle groups
(legs, back, arms) and you can really push your body to the limit as
there’s very little impact on your joints.
Work up to 12km
For blitzing winter weight, endurance training beats a short intense
row. You can burn approximately 900 calories per hour during a
steady state training session. Twelve kilometres is a good distance
to build up to – though you should start off slow. Kick off at two
kilometres and building up incrementally from there. But beware of
injury; if you don’t row properly it can put a strain on your back, so
for the first couple of weeks I’d advise doing short sessions working
on getting the proper technique.
Great motivator
Another reason why the rowing machine is the perfect place to
begin your journey toward a fitter, leaner body in 2010 is the regular
indications of progress. The great thing about the rowing machine is
that it gives you 500m splits so you have a constant measure of how

Nutrition
As ever, what you consume – and when – is every bit as important as
how intensely you train. Aim to have 1-1.2g of carbohydrate per kg of
your bodyweight immediately after training and repeated at regular
intervals until a meal is eaten. And if you can’t stomach solids, there’s
always the white stuff! Milk or yoghurt-based drinks are convenient
post-training and will provide protein as well as some carbohydrate.
Research has shown that the mixture of whey and casein protein in
milk can help rebuild muscles and promote efficient adaptations to
resistance training. The effects of milk have also been shown to aid
recovery from endurance exercise.
Stroke for Stroke
A further incentive to get rowing comes in the shape of the third
annual Stroke for Stroke campaign, run by Siemens and The Stroke
Association, which encourages members of the public to undertake
a sponsored 10km row. The initiative will run from January 25 to
January 31 and to date has raised over £70,000 to support stroke
research.
So get yourself a seat in the gym as soon as you can and row your way
to a healthier 2010!

Pause For Thought...
One of the problems of living in this beautiful area of
Spain is that there are just too many of us. Not wishing to
complain of course, but there are so many of us here that
we don’t need to try to integrate with the local community.
We have so many British friends in the locality and at
Church, and so many Spanish are anxious to learn and
practice their English that we have little need to learn the
language or to socialise with our Spanish Hosts.
Unfortunately I remember all too well how I used to
criticise the many immigrants who came to reside in my
neighbourhood back in Lancashire for not learning English
and for keeping to themselves rather than trying to
integrate into our society, and I can’t help wondering just
how much of that criticism could now be justly levelled
against myself. So in an effort to make some attempt,
when I saw a notice advertising a Mass for Christmas in
Aljambra, near my home in Albox, in spite of the differences
in culture, language and denomination, I felt constrained to
attend.
And what a joy it was. Surprisingly to me, I was the
only foreigner there and tried vainly to slink quietly and
unnoticed to the back. But no chance. In typical Spanish
style I was truly made welcome, with everyone trying their
best to communicate. That I was Anglican rather than
Catholic proved no barrier either, as Priest and congregation
joined in celebrating our common faith in Jesus, the eternal
Son of God, rather than focus, as can so often happen, on
our differences.
What a lesson this was, and how important that we should
learn from it and try at every opportunity to mix with our
Spanish neighbours, enjoying their culture, which doubtless
is one of the reasons we’ve come to live here anyway.
Duncan Burr is Licensed Lay Reader for the Anglican
Chaplaincy of Costa Almeria and Costa Cálida and may
be contacted at djburr@avired.com
There are a number of English Language Churches in the region for any
wishing to Worship. Further information about the Anglican Church, the
service of Communion held in Albox on the last Thursday of each month
and of forthcoming events may be seen on the website
www.mojacarchurch.org

16

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

When responding to an advertisement remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) is commemorated internationally on 27th
January each year. This date was chosen as it is the anniversary of the day
in 1945 on which the Soviet Army liberated the largest Nazi concentration
camp – Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Each year, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust urges
everyone to pause and reflect on what can happen
when racism, prejudice and exclusionary behaviour
are left unchecked. On HMD we take the time to see
how the lessons of the past can play a part in our
communities today. This year, Holocaust Memorial
Day marks the 65th anniversary of the liberation of
Auschwitz-Birkenau. On 27th January, the Holocaust
Memorial Day Trust is challenging everyone to
become part of a Legacy of Hope.

HMD was established at a meeting on 27 January
2000, when representatives from forty-four
governments around the world met in Stockholm
to discuss Holocaust education, remembrance
and research. At the conclusion of the forum, the
delegates unanimously signed a declaration. This
forms the HMD Statement of Commitment which is
used a basis for events and commemorations.
Statement of Commitment
We recognise that the Holocaust shook the
foundations of modern civilisation. Its unprecedented
character and horror will always hold universal
meaning.

discrimination and racism. We value a free, tolerant,
and democratic society.
Many organisers have incorporated the Holocaust
Memorial Day Statement of Commitment into their
remembrance events, reminding everyone attending of
the principles behind HMD and why we commemorate
the Day.
HMD remembers the victims and honour the
survivors of state-sponsored hatred in Nazi-occupied
Europe, in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
HMD also pledges to make a stand – that the
atrocities of the past should not happen again and
renews a commitment to tackle hatred and exclusion
head on in order to create a safer, better future for
all.
Holocaust survivors play an immense role in drawing
our attention to the lessons of the Holocaust. They
speak of pain and loss, of strength and survival, of
despair and their wish for a Legacy of Hope. They
encourage every one of us to look within and be sure
of our moral compass; to be certain of our choices
and to use our voice, whenever we can, to speak
out.
These survivors have translated difficult experiences
in order to create a future that is free from the
dangers of exclusion and persecution; they have
passed a message of resilience and hope to our next
generations.
It is our responsibility to remember those who were
persecuted and murdered, because their lives were
wasted; to make the experience and words of victims
and survivors of the Holocaust, and subsequent
genocides, a meaningful part of our future.

We believe the Holocaust must have a permanent
place in our nation’s collective memory. We honour
the survivors still with us, and reaffirm our shared
goals of mutual understanding and justice.
We must make sure that future generations
understand the causes of the Holocaust and reflect
upon its consequences. We vow to remember the
victims of Nazi persecution and of all genocide.
We value the sacrifices of those who have risked
their lives to protect or rescue victims, as a touchstone
of the human capacity for good in the face of evil.
We recognise that humanity is still scarred by the
belief that race, religion, disability or sexuality make
some people’s lives worth less than others’. Genocide,
antisemitism, racism, xenophobia and discrimination
still continue. We have a shared responsibility to fight
these evils.
We pledge to strengthen our efforts to promote
education and research about the Holocaust and other
genocide. We will do our utmost to make sure that the
lessons of such events are fully learnt.
We will continue to encourage Holocaust
remembrance by holding an annual UK Holocaust
Memorial Day. We condemn the evils of prejudice,

The aspirations of those who have suffered from
the effects of the Holocaust and of genocide around
the world, should inform our lives today. Their words
can make us think about our own attitudes, our
behaviour, our choices, the way we vote, the way we
interact with one another, the way we respect and
celebrate the differences between us and the way
in which we build a safer future together. It is their
example that can inspire us to greater action and ask
ourselves what we should be doing today to build a
safer, stronger society so that the risk of the building
blocks of genocide ever being laid is removed?

For more information go to: www.hmd.org.uk

Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

‘Liberation’

27th January

Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

17

your winter
photos
Dear Sol Times
You requested winter in
Spain photographs so I
have attached a couple
I took at a motorway
services about 40
kilometres north of
Burgos (E5, E80, AP1)
on 17th December 2009
whilst on route to the
Bilbao ferry port.
My car is shown in
one of the photographs
and as you see it
was not parked in the
conventional parking
area due to the main
parking area being
virtually unusable due
to the amount of snow.
Regards,
Rod Spencer,
Puerto de Mazarron,
Murcia

www.almeriaheating.com

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Hi Ed
on Dec 31st
This picture was taken at Cabo de Palos
h, about
lunc
sant
(New Years Eve 2009) after a plea
ing!
3.30 pm. Hope you find it interest
Terry (Fuente Alamo)

• Immediate transfer to Airport,
NO WAITING, dropping you
right outside departures for
your convenience. On your
return your car will be outside
arrivals receiving a
complimentary external clean

Yes it’s loud and yes it sounds
like an old fashioned Fire
Bell! If this does not wake
you then check your pulse!
Designed not only to look like
a real fire bell, it’s got very
similar decibels with a digital
time display and three alarm
settings. If you need just a
couple more minutes, simply
hit the big white snooze
button and you’ve got 8
minutes before the next
noise-fest kicks in!

Gadgets
…TO GET YOU UP & ABOUT!

FLYING ALARM CLOCK ~ 16.84€
The Flying alarm clock is pretty much as it
sounds - an alarm clock which makes alarm
noises and a flying bit which comes to life
when the alarm goes off. All you have to
do is set the alarm as you normally would.
When it’s time to get up the helicopter bit
of the clock will fly off, and the only way
to switch the alarm off is by sticking this
back in the base. We do set the alarm to
get our lazy bums out of bed and this will
do exactly that!

MP3 ALARM CLOCK ~ 21.34€
www.furnitureplus.es

Yet

another

clock

where

old

is

combined with new, the Wiki MP3
Alarm Clock might look old fashioned
but contains the latest technology
to allow you to wake up dancing to
the tune of choice. Browse, select
and use sounds from a Sound Bank
or download your favourite songs
through a PC You can also arrange
the sequence, set for repeat or insert
silence, then record into the alarm
clock.

ANIMAL SOUNDS ALARM CLOCK ~ 16.28€
Choose from one of six clocks. Available
there is a Cat, Cow, Frog, Pig, Duck and
Rooster. We could also explain what
each clock sounds like, but with any luck
you might just have heard what each
animal sounds like. The sounds are very
realistic and the clock and alarms are set
in the normal way, but instead of a loud
ring you’ll be awoken by your favourite
animal! Just like being on a farm eh?

please note, prices do not include p&p
fOR INFORMATION ON WHERE TO PURCHASE ANY OF THESE
PRODUCTS, PLEASE EMAIL: EDITOR@SOLTIMES.COM

Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

FIRE BELL ALARM CLOCK ~ 16.84€

Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

www.solymarspain.com

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

19

20

When responding to an advertisement remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

!
e
m
o
H
r
u
o
Y
e
s
i
r
e
t
n
i
W
m
r
a
W
p
Slee

It’s likely that our houses will soon feel the full force of the Spanish winter with bitter cold wind, heavy rain
and possibly even snow. Here are a few jobs that you’ll want to get out of the way as soon as possible!
Service your boiler…
Now is the time to check your boiler is working
fine and doesn’t let you down when you most need
it. Gas Safe Register recommends you get your boiler
checked annually by a registered engineer. This is
mainly to protect you and your family from Carbon
Monoxide poisoning, which every year claims lives
and in less extreme cases ill health too.
This may be a good time to replace an old boiler
for a newer model. If your boiler is over 10 years old
you could be wasting up to half the gas you buy!

gaps in your windows and doors. Around a fifth of
heat lost from the home is due to draughts; this can
be fixed simply by locating draughts and sealing
them and is often a much cheaper solution than
replacing old windows or doors.
There’s a wide range of draught proofing available
from local hardware stores (Ferreteria) in the form
of brushes, foams and sealants in strips or shaped
rubber or plastic.
Inspect your roof and chimney…

Spain!
In this case it’s advisable to check from a ladder
around the perimeter from the eaves. Always make
sure you are using an appropriate roof ladder that
is securely fastened at the top and bottom and
have someone with you for safety. Here are some
checks you should make and replacements where
necessary:
Look for missing, cracked, curled, broken or rotted
slates or tiles. These will need to be replaced and old
nails removed.

and

Your roof is the first point of contact between
your house and rainfall or snow, so now is the time
to check that your roof is weatherproof.

It’s no good having a boiler in tip top order if the
heat it’s pumping out is leaking through cracks and

Steep roofs or roofs covered with slate or tiles
shouldn’t be walked on – that’s most roofs here in

Check your chimney is free of any unwanted
guests!

Seal draughts
doors…

to

windows

Mon & Sat:

For more information or
a free quotation call:

630 231 644
636 838 484

Sleeping warm an
When you go to bed, the shee
re

First, use flannel sheets on your bed. They make
a bed instantly warmer than cotton or satin which
will freeze you! But flannel will be warmer to the
touch instantly and hold your body heat all night.
Next, use a down comforter! They are so, so warm
that you will think you have an electric blanket.
Down feathers insulate and therefore you stay extra
cozy under a down comforter on your bed.
Reconcile temperature preferences by giving the
colder partner a fleece blanket. Use a twin size
fleece blanket on one side of the bed so that the
colder partner does not suffer from a lack of covers
or make you sweat with comforter overkill. This
way, you two can sleep happily side by side even if

Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

21

n
o
i
t
a
x
a
l
Re
e
d
Perfect Firesi
& Cozy

nd cozy is sometimes hard to do in the cold of winter!
ets are so cold you just about jump back out, but there are ways to
emedy this and stay warm all night!
your temperature preferences are very different.
Replace your mattress if it is more than 10 years
old. The average mattress lasts for around 10 years.
After that it starts to break down and no amount of
attention can make it comfortable again.
Pick the right size mattress to make you cozy. A
mattress that is too small leads to feeling crowded;
if it is too large you can feel lost inside the bed with
too much space. Lay down on the bed and extend
both arms out to your side. Where your fingertips
extend to is the ideal size for you. If you have a
partner in bed, you should both be able to extend
your arms.
Additionally, put a comfortable mattress pad on

top of the mattress. For extra comfort, consider
putting a foam pad on the mattress underneath
the fitted mattress pad. Be sure to put a mattress
pad with deep enough sides to hook firmly over
the mattress so it doesn’t pop off and create
uncomfortable bunches under your sheets.
Replace hot water bottles with herbal neck and
foot wraps. You can put them in the microwave
and warm them right at bed time. Then take them
to bed with you and put them at your feet and
neck. Now when you talk about comfort, this is
it. And since they are herbal wraps, they will have
a wonderful smell when you heat them. Aroma
therapy and warmth lead to restful sleep. How
much better does it get?

The weather outside may be frightful, but your fire can be oh-so
delightful with a few key tips…
Keep Fireplaces and Wood Stoves
Clean
You should get your fireplace cleaned and inspected
by a certified chimney specialist every year.
Be Cautious and Conservative with
Burning Fuels
Don’t use lighter fluid to start a fire, keep a wire grate
in front of the fireplace, and remove any decorative
and flammable materials far away from the hearth.
Never leave a fire unattended, and extinguish the fire
before you go to bed or leave the home.

the outside of your home, and cover the top of the
chimney with a mesh spark protector

Protect the Inside of your Home
Install smoke alarms and check them monthly.
Make sure there is proper ventilation around the
fireplace and throughout the home.

EDUCATE YOUR FAMILY: Make sure everyone
in the home knows where the fire extinguisher is and
knows an evacuation plan in case things go wrong.

apartment in a front line position on Mojacar Playa.
As of January 1st this property is been fitted with a new
designer Kitchen with Bosch oven, touch hobs and fridge
freezer and has been reformed with new painting, tiles, and
Bathroom for presentation of sale. The property was rented
out constantly for five consecutive years. Properties of this
location rarely come onto the market and at this price.
This is a ground floor apartment in a secure gated
community which has an impressive communal pool and
gardens. The apartment has a large private terrace which
also has a nice touch of plantation and charm. From the
entrance, you would have a 30 second walk to the front
of Mojacar playa beach side and the bustle of bars and
restaurants that are held in the highest regard in the Playa.
The interior of the property consists of three double
bedrooms
one bathroom,
a separate kitchen and good
2 BedandRooms
€130,000
sized lounge. English Satellite is installed and the property
Rooms
€135,000
will3beBed
sold partly
furnished.

A Bargain House in an Exclusive Community

22 New Key Ready Apartments
A well positioned small development of 22 new key
ready apartments that are priced to sell below market
Value. Positioned and located central to Mojacar Playa.
The Properties are North Facing however all properties
enjoy generous terrace space with most having sea views.
These properties are available on a good finance package
and would be suitable for all aspects of purchase including
rental due to the location to beach and amenities. Priced
includes a choice of one of ten Kitchen models and a
20m2 storeroom. DIRECT FROM THE PROMOTOR V.I.P
ALMERIA.

2 Bed Rooms €130,000
3 Bed Rooms €135,000

Bank Repossession: Semi-detached modern villa

Located Second Line from Mojacar Beach, type 2 bed / 2 bath
bungalow . This property is in a neat and small community
that is very sought after area at a bargain price. It comprises
of two good sized bedrooms an open lounge and terraces
to the front and back with a staircase to a solarium looking
over the pool and to Mojacar Beach. The entrance can be
from the back beside the kitchen or via the communal garden
to a large partly covered terrace. There are fantastic views
from all parts of this property. This is an excellent chance
to purchase a bungalow in this very sought after area at a
bargain price. The property is sold partly furnished but will
include a fully fitted Kitchen.

Price €159,900 reduced from
€210,000 for a deal

V.I.P Almeria, established in Mojacar in 2006, are now operating
to the general public for lifestyle and investment properties. With
various contracts in place, including Hestiun - the official leisure
property development partner of Manchester United PLC 2008/2009
- V.I.P. Almeria are exclusively promoting the Miramar de Marina Golf
development in Mojacar with Grupo 2002.

Spacious semi-detached modern house within 200m from the sea, In a
sought after / very residential area, on the grounds of a gated private
community with a private road which can be accessed via two different
routes. It has lovely communal lawned gardens & large swimming pool.
The 157m property consists of: Ground floor: Porch, large entrance hall,
kitchen, cloakroom, large dining / living room with open fire place, private
terrace overlooking the gardens, swimming pool and sea. Upstairs: master
bedroom with its own terrace overlooking the communial gardens and the
properties own 165m2 garden, swimming pool and with great views of the
sea. Family bathroom and 2 further bedrooms both have distant views
of picturesque Mojácar Village. The basement can be accessed via the
Lounge staircase and is ideal as an open plan office, bedroom or chill out
“big boys room” room for the man of the house. This can be used as a
permanent home or holiday / investment property.

Was €285,000
now offers in Excess of €225,000

Through its association with the banking sector, local and international,
VIP Almeria can also offer all of their applicants excellent financial
options and assistance, together with property portfolios that are not
always available to the public. Also please check our website for our
distress and repossession portfolios.

22

When responding to an advertisement remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

ALMUDENA
INSURANCE

Established for 47 years.

Fed up with paying too much for
insurances?
talk to us

....Then

Example 1

Funeral & Medical

• A couple aged 55 & 60.
• Full coverage for your funeral right
down to the flowers!!
• Whether you want to stay in Spain or
be re-patriated.
• Plus discounts on all your private medical
All for
Example 2

ONLY 40€ per month, per couple

Building & contents insurance
for a house of 135m2

ONLY 210€ per year!!

We also cover houses in the Campo.
You can’t afford not to call us really...

PROPERT Y
TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION CALL LYNN ON 950 430 820 OR EMAIL SALES@SOLTIMES.COM

bar

Family run bar for sale
with two bedroom accommodation.
Low rent ongoing lease.
Good English & Spanish trade.
Situated in Cuaves De Rellyo
Five mins Fuente Alamo.
Reason for sale retirement.
Priced accordingly.

Tel Christine on 663 036 208

Advertise your
property...

...in full colour, with a photo and copy
for only 20€
and get an extra week free!
Call Lyn on 950 430 820 for more details

property
for
SALE
Lease & stock
for sale

Small stationary shop in
the village of Tabernas.
Open lease. £5000.00
Good potential.
Genuine reason for sale

Are you buying or selling a property?
Coles of Andalucia have a wide
range of legal properties at market
adjusted prices.
Resale, new build and bank
repossessions.

Get yourself a
bargain 3 year
old villa on the
outskirts of Turre

Avda. Guillermo Reyna 53, Huercal Overa, Almeria

60,000€

ADVERTISE

YOUR

PROPERTY
HERE

CALL LYNN
OR PAULETTE

950 430 820

NEW HOUSE
FOR SALE
CANTORIA

Key Ready & Resale Properties
Repossessions
Distress Sales

Mojacar Playa
Tel: 950 102 006
Mobile: 617 587 903

email: info@vipalmeria.com
www.vipalmeria.com

Tel: 647 730 103

Located in a quiet
street with lovely
views. 3 Double
bedrooms, large living
room, light and airy
hall and landing, fully fitted modern kitchen.large
bathroom, downstairs WC, patio ,terrace, front
garden and drive. A must see property! Different
forms of payment accepted.
For more information contact - Sam 679100048

When responding to an advertisement remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

Wisteria is one of the prettiest climbing plants you can put in your garden. The ideal soil for
them has to be moist, rich with plenty of space for the roots to develop and grow. They will flower
between May and June and you’ll be treated to a beautiful show of colour and lovely fragrance.
Wisteria plants originally grew on trees with
the roots embedded in the forest floor in the
rich organic matter of the leaf litter created by
autumn leaf falls. The top growth of the plant
grows strongly upward to reach the light. To grow
wisteria successfully you need to re-create these
conditions in the original planting and the yearly
maintenance. When planting you should select
a position that has the roots in a shaded spot,
but will allow wisteria’s top growth to find the sun
against a wall or fence. Dig a large hole and fork
the base, incorporating large amounts of organic
matter, such as garden compost, farmyard or
stable manure. Make sure that you only use wellrotted manure and compost, as freshly made can
burn the roots of the new plant. With the yearly
maintenance of the wisteria you will need to add
additional organic matter by top dressing the
plant’s base in the spring. Feeding with a general
garden fertiliser can be carried out in the spring
followed by feeding with a liquid tomato feed every
14 days after the end of May.

ria
e
t
s
i
W
r
o
f
s
i
W

Wisterias flower from flowering spurs that form
on the stems. The best way to encourage the
development of the spurs is to train your wisteria
so that the side shoots and branches are horizontal.
The best form of training is on a wire secured to
a wall or fence using wine eyes and galvanised
wire. Naturally wisteria plants climb by sending
out shoots that look for tree branches to climb on.
Once a branch is located the wisteria stem starts
turning clockwise in a circling motion resulting in a
coiling to secure its new position. This fact is worth
remembering when training your plant to a new wire
as twisting the stems in a anti-clockwise direction

will cause the plant to waste a great deal of energy
and time untwisting and re-twisting itself.
With your wisteria trained, light summer pruning
should take place during the first three summers
to control any wild side shoots that you do not wish
to tie in and to reduce any excessive foliage.
If you have had a wisteria for a number of years
that has failed to flower, it is time for some drastic
measures. In late autumn, after the leaves have
fallen, you should prune the plant back by 50%
removing all the thinner stems, only leaving the
main plant structure.
Test the soil to see if it is alkaline and if it is add a
small dressing of iron sulphate to help counteract
this and help turn the soil slightly acid. Finally, top
dress with some organic matter around the base.
In some cases you will find that even this drastic
pruning will not result in flowering because the
plant has been planted incorrectly in the first place
with no organic matter, or it had been propagated
from a parent plant that also lacked flowers. The
only solution at this stage is to re-plant with a new
plant, which you know to have been propagated
from a prolific flowering parent

Down
1 In part of the Czech republic I’m held up by tea
(7)
2 A fellow’s legs may be protected by these (5)
3 Simple addition in cult film (4,5)
4 Irish terrorists meet queen - one from Baghdad,
perhaps (5)
5 Free pile designed for a member of the House of
Lords (4,4)
6 Painting surface covered in stages sometimes (5)

CRYPTIC CROSSWORD CLUES
ACROSS
1 React badly when embraced by one
scientist or another (14)
9 Capital investment producing hard
faces (9)
10 Monsieur is immersed in
unspecified French river (5)
11 Scrooge in film is erratic (5)
12 I’m ready to attend university
without preparation (9)
13 Gold ordered for a piece of music (6)
15 A rock star baked food ... (4,4)
18 ... before actual team of stars (8)
19 Going up a track (6)
21 Empty cell on mountain? Most
ingenious! (9)
24 Excuse for boxer beginning to box
on island (5)
26 The sound of a piano is excruciating
(5)
27 Exercising self-control in Europe, for
example (9)
28 This chair is carved in stone for a
mystery writer (6,8)

SOLUTIONS

Sudoku is a placement puzzle where the aim of the
game is to enter the numbers 1 to 9 in each row
and column of a grid, made up of 3 x 3 subgrids
(they call them regions). The catch is that each row,
column and region must contain only one instance
of each number.

7 Signal given more shape at sea (9)
8 Check polish again (6)
14 Bugging two items of personal adornment (9)
16 Conductor of opera rising in encore (9)
17 Naval ice breaker in Spanish city (8)
18 Not the first time (6)
20 This’ll sound like a Scottish emblem (7)
22 Chris, the tennis player, is always on time (5)
23 A number going to church for fish (5)
25 Sluggish trainer takes part (5)

Ricky Whittle has pleaded not guilty to a charge of dangerous
driving at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court.

The Strictly Come Dancing and Hollyoak s star was arrested
on suspicion of assault on November 27 following an incident
on Duke Street in Liverpool when his vehicle allegedly collided
with a freelance photographer. The 29-year-old was released
on bail later that day.
Steve Farrell has claimed that Whittle “took objection” to him
taking a picture of him and two girls through the car window.
Earlier, Whittle had been at leaving parties for two of his soap
co-stars at Parr Street Studios.
Whittle only spoke to give his name and address today, but will
reappear at the court on March 12 when the case is expected to
be committed to Liverpool Crown Court.

Tan Ban
Girls Aloud Star Backs Under-18
Nicola Roberts has joined

Girls Aloud star
the government in calling for a ban on under18s using tanning salons. The singer spoke at
the launch of the private members’ bill, which
was brought forward by Cardiff North MP Julie
Morgan.
Roberts, who is making a documentary about
“tanorexia” for BBC Three, said that there is
“unbelievable pressure” on young girls and
women about how they look. The 24-year-old
claimed that she was shocked on a recent trip
to her home city of Liverpool when she realised
how many young girls used sunbeds.
“Going into the streets of Liverpool and
interviewing the young girls who are obsessed
with having a tan and feeling like they had to
be brown to be seen as attractive, that whole
mentalit y that they had gathered was just a
bigger problem than I ever thought it was,” the
BBC quotes her as saying.
Roberts added that she had “learned to love”
her pale skin after years of using fake tan.

Singer Bobby Charles Dies, Aged 71

American singer Bobby Charles has
died at
his Louisiana home at the age of
71. Charles
was in remission from kidney
cancer and
suffered from diabetes. However
, the cause
of death remains unknown.
The star helped pioneer the south
Louisiana
musical genre ‘swamp pop’ and penn
ed songs
including ‘Walking to New Orleans’
and ‘See
You Later Alligator ’.
“He is a classic American song writ
er. His
songs are real American songs,”
publicist

Karen Johnson said.
Long-time friend and music colla
borator
Dr. John said: “We were very close
for 40,
50 years. We started writing stuff
together in
the ‘70s. He was very easy to work
with and
a special guy.”
The pair had recently completed
an album
together titled Timeless, whic
h will be
released next month.
Charles is survived by four sons.

ntary
Spielberg For Ground Zero Doctheume
reconstruction of New

Steven Spielberg has signed to produce a documentary about
York City’s former World Trade Center site. The Oscar-winning
filmmaker will also act as advisor for the project, titled Rebuilding
Ground Zero.
“The rebuilding effort at Ground Zero is a compelling story
of remembrance and renewal,” said New York Mayor Michael
Bloomberg in a statement.
He added: “The fact that Steven Spielberg - one of the great
filmmakers of our time - will produce a documentary on it ensures
that the story will be brought to life for people around the world
for generations to come.”
The six-part series is slated to air in 2011, two years before the
site’s Freedom Tower is expected to be completed.

o
Barlows Celebrate Anniversary With Bing
The couple

anniversary.
Gary Barlow and his wife Dawn have reached their tenth wedding
celebrate the special
could
they
that
so
Hotel
Oriental
n
Mandari
s
threw a bingo party at London’
day with their friends.
sure Dawn had a party
One of the guests commented: “[Gary] spent a lot of money to make
s suite. Gary hosted
luxuriou
most
hotel’s
to remember, treating her to a couple of nights in the
tables and they all
their
on
were
dabbers
and
cards
the
All
out.
the bingo, calling the numbers
got into the spirit of things.”
’s, included Cheryl
Celebrity guests at the event, which raised money for charity Barnardo
Take That
Barlow’s
Dixon.
Alesha
and Ashley Cole, Fearne Cotton, Denise Van Outen and
party.
the
at
speech
a
gave
also
Owen
Mark
bandmates Howard Donald and

Coleen Nolan: ‘Beckham Needs A Hob
by’

Coleen Nolan has urged Victoria
Beckham
to “get a hobby” and stop
worr ying about her breasts.
The Loose Women panellist
spoke out with words of advice
for Beckham following recent
press attention surrounding
the star’s seemingly smaller
assets.
Beckham
sparked
the
scrutiny by wearing a low- cut
top earlier this week. She is
thought to have had a breast
reduction operation last year,
reducing her bust size from
a 34D to 34B following two
previous enlargements.
Writing in her column for
The Mirror, Nolan remarked:
“Where have they gone, Posh?
Your boobs! What have you
done with them? One minute
they were there all there,
bursting out the top of your

frocks. Now it look s like someone
has nicked
them.
“Posh’s boobs have been
up and down more times
than a window cleaner’s
ladder. But maybe it is part
of being super-rich that
your boobs change as often
as the rest of us change our
hairstyle.”
Addressing
Beckham
directly, she continued:
“Forget
about
them,
love. Get a hobby, watch
a bit more daytime telly
- I can recommend
Loose Women - do some
voluntar y work. Anything.
Just stop thinking about
boobs because life is way
too shor t. Let’s leave
obsessing about breasts
to the men.”

Ray Winstone has admitted that he can’t
musical Cleo.
The British actor, known for appearing in tough-guy movies
such as Sexy Beast , said that he hopes the project, which will
seem him play Julius Caesar opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones’s
Egyptian queen Cleopatra, materialises this year.
“It’ll be great! We were supposed to do it last year, but
Steven had something else to do, which he’s done now, but I
haven’t heard anything more about it. It would be great to do
it this year, but if it happens, it happens and if it doesn’t, it
doesn’t,” he said.
Asked if he has any trepidation about changing career
direction to star in a song and dance film, Winstone replied:
“Nah! No way. I’d love to. Me with the Tony Curtis haircut,
too.”
giving it large? It’ll be great. No, it’ll be fabulous! I look good in a skirt,

‘Enders Jo Joyner Gives Birth To Twins

EastEnders star Jo Joyner is reportedly ‘thrilled’ after giving birth to
a baby girl and boy. The
actress, who plays Tanya Branning in the soap, announced that she
was pregnant with twins
last July.
Joyner was forced to undergo fertility treatment after strugglin
g to conceive with actor
husband Neil Madden for four years.
Reports indicate that the 31-year- old is to present her new son and
daughter in a magazine
deal. Joyner’s agent would not disclose any further details about the
twins, saying that it was
“too private right now”.

REVIEWS By Simon Lewis

BOOK

Hell’s Angels
by Hunter S Thompson

The Hell’s Angels seem like the perfect subject
for one of journalisms most extreme advocates.
Thompson likes nothing more than a bit of journalism
on the edge and here he goes in search of the awesome
and often frightening biker gang in California.
Like any production from Thompson the writing
is insightful and detailed but with real humour and
exact observation of the subject. He really gets to
the depths of the characters he encounters and does
much to both enforce and debunk some of the myths
and stories that follow this particular group.
It’s a great read being both informative and edgy
and Thompson as ever captures the essence of
something in a fresh and exciting way that many
other writers fail to do. The events, characters and
sheer intensity make this a great non-fiction read on
an under investigated subject.

CD

Paolo Nutini Sunny Side Up

Paolo Nutini’s second album might come across
as a bit of a shock to those who bought and loved his
debut These Streets. The same song writing quality is
clearly present but the genre is harder to pin down.
The Scottish artist has really gone to town with
influences and genres on his second album. As you go
through the songs you’re transported from reggae on
10/10 to soul music on Coming Up Easy. There is some
rock and folk music thrown in too for good measure. It
shouldn’t work but strangely it does.
The strength of Nutini’s voice coupled with the song
writing talent he possesses means that although you’re
never sure what will happen next when it does you
can’t help but be captivated. Songs like the beautifully
catchy pop of Candy are a welcome distraction to the
cold nights!

DVD

Push (12) 107 mins

What we have here is yet another
superheroes type offering much akin to the TV
series Heroes that has proven so popular. The film
follows ordinary people that have psychic abilities
that they can use for a range of skills.
Chris Evans plays the lead as a “mover” a person who
can move objects simply with the power of his mind.
There are also people who can see the near future,
people who can change shape and ones that can even
use smell to know about a recent event. Imaginative
it might be and the effects that the director puts into
action around Hong Kong are certainly impressive.
It’s a good action film but it feels too much like
this is setting up a franchise for the future, a bit like
watching the pilot to a new TV show. It’s exciting and
well shot but leaves you wanting a bit more than what
is eventually offered.

28

When responding to an advertisement remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

removing any beards
Scrub the mussels in cold water,
damaged shells or that
or barnacles. Discard any with
ed.
stay open when lightly tapp
enough to hold the
Heat the oil in a large pan deep
ngrass and chilli and fry
mussels. Add the shallots, lemo
gently for 3min.
and simmer for 1min,
Add the white wine to the pan
er for a further 5min,
then add the coconut milk. Simm
pan tightly with a lid and
then add the mussels. Cover the
are opened. Discard any
cook for 5min until the mussels
that remain closed.
mussels among four
Stir in the coriander and divide the
e and serve with a
warmed bowls. Pour over the sauc
crusty bread to
and
quar ter of lime for squeezing over
mop up the juices.

Fillet Steak With
Madeira Sauce

ALLBITES
La Alfoquia

#

Method

FREE CHIPS
K

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium to high heat and fry the
steaks for 2¼min on each side for rare and 3¼min on each
side for medium rare. Set aside on a warmed plate and cover
loosely with foil. Leave to rest for at least 10min while you
make the sauce.
Pour the Madeira into the same pan and simmer rapidly until
syrupy, scraping the crusty bits from the base of the pan these contain lots of flavour. Add the stock and simmer for
4-5min. Then add any juices from the resting steaks.
Add the cream and bubble for 1-2min until thickened. Stir in
the mustard and check the seasoning. Serve the steaks with
seasonal vegetables and a little of the sauce drizzled over.
COOK’S TIP: This versatile sauce is also excellent served
with pan-fried lamb, pork, pheasant or chicken breasts - simply
replace the beef stock with lamb or chicken stock.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

THE HOME OF FISH & CHIPS

HADDOC

Method

COD

Put dried mushrooms into a bowl. Add 250ml (9fl oz) boiling
water and soak for 20min. Strain mushrooms, reserving 150ml
(5fl oz) of the soaking liquor, then roughly chop.
Heat half the oil in a large pan and gently fry the leek for
10min until softened. Add the garlic and fry for 1min. Add rice
and cook for 1min, stirring well.
Pour in the wine and simmer until evaporated. Then add
the mushroom liquor and cook until absorbed. Add the dried
mushrooms, then add a ladleful of stock and simmer until the
liquid has been absorbed. Continue adding the stock, ladleful
by ladleful, stirring continuously until the risotto is cooked 15-20min.
For the garnish, roughly chop the fresh mushrooms, keeping
any smaller ones whole. Heat the remaining oil in a small
pan and briskly fry the mushrooms until golden and cooked
through. Stir three-quarters of the herbs into the risotto,
check the seasoning, then divide among four shallow bowls.
Garnish with the mushrooms, cheese and remaining herbs.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Everyone needs at least one hobby. Picking and choosing is the
fun part and there are so many to explore!

Hobbies are like food for our bodies with no concerns about
calories, fat or cholesterol. Hobbies are healthy. They are relaxing,
fun and have no negative side effects. They are stress relievers, great
companions and ready when you are. They can become addictive
but in a healthy way. They can be active or inactive, indoors or out.
There is one to fill a variety of needs at any age or stage in your life
and they can be a conduit for making friends with shared interests.
The hobby you select may be an extension of what you do on your
day job or it may be the opposite. You might choose something
requiring fine motor skills or seek to get in touch with your creative
side. If you work indoors and deal with people all day, you may
prefer something outdoors or something solitary. If you are
recovering from an illness or have a lot of home responsibilities, you
may want something to give you an escape right where you are.
Your avocation may be a good choice for a hobby and something
you might someday want to turn into a business or a sideline. There
are endless possibilities.
But above all, a hobby is like a good book – something that once
you start, you hate to put it down and yet when you do, it patiently
awaits your return. In the column on the right, you will see many
suggestions to get you started. Click on several and try them on for
size. When you do you will learn more about each hobby and also
find how-to books and products or materials along with reviews
and information to get you started on the perfect hobby for you.
A hobby can provide an incredible vehicle for self expression and
significantly enrich life. Identifying benefits that you find desirable
will translate into the needs and rewards that you want from a
pastime. Let us take a look at the benefits that can arise from
pursuing a hobby.
Often our daily life provides little or no satisfaction and an absorbing
hobby can compensate; satisfaction that arises from participation in a
pastime activity is of definite benefit to ones life.
Relaxation does not necessarily mean doing something quiet and

6 weeks to a more confident you!

Come with me...

Join the Independent
Theatre, learn new skills
and make new friends
• Based in the Almanzora Valley,

•W
e have more than 30 members

•W
e undertake our plays from
Mojacar to Albox and beyond.

• Perform 2 or 3 plays a year.

•W
e welcome new members with
open arms

Looking for a hobby?

•N
o previous experience necessary,
for on stage, or backstage ~ the
engine room of any play.

...I’ll take you on a journey of
discovery to inner confidence
and self esteem.

Relationships are essential. Family, friends and associates are an
important element of our lives. Involvement in a hobby could vastly
broaden your circle of friends and develop lasting relationships.
Share your enthusiasm with other hobby people.
Traditional gatherings take place in the guise of clubs and societies
and the internet is an excellent medium for making contact with
like-minded people far and wide.
Which benefits appeal to you? List them now. Make these your
target hobby rewards. Reflect upon your current lifestyle; consider
your work, family, home, health and current interests. What aspects
of life do you like and dislike?
Maybe, you want a less sedentary lifestyle or just to take some time
to relax and chill out. Whatever your preferences you will be the prime
influence on your hobby and in control of how it develops.
Bring as many “likes” to your hobby as possible; a pastime is for
relaxation and is purely for your pleasure!
Next, consider family and finance commitments. How much
leisure time do you have available? How much of this time can
be given to a pastime without adversely impacting upon family
life? What compromises might you have to make? Your financial
situation is an important consideration. How much money do you
feel it is reasonable spend on pastime activities? Hobby costs range
from ludicrously low to extremely extravagant.
Finally, list your current interests and the reasons why these appeal to
you. What do you really enjoy doing in your leisure time?
By now, you should have discovered a lot about yourself. Continue
asking yourself questions. There could be potential to expand
existing interests or combine them in a complementary way with
an entirely new hobby. For example, digital photography; it can
be an end in itself or used with great effect to enhance or record
other interests.
Alternatively, you may have discovered that you crave a pastime
that is in absolute contrast to anything else you do!

We are a mixed voice choir singing mostly popular music in 4 or
more parts. We produce 2 shows a year: at Christmas and this year
at the end of May, and rehearse on a Monday evening in Albox.
There is no audition and you don’t have to have sung in a choir
before or be able to read music, although you will be very welcome
if you have or can!

Call Trudi on: 950 432 333

Special Offers!

For more information contact Victoria on:

950 472 590 or e-mail: slcvictoria@terra.es

Come and meet
friends old and new at Rumores
Bar / Cafe, Albox

Come and make new friends while enjoying an
outdoor sport. We meet every Tuesday,
Thursday & Saturday between 10am - 2pm

Conversation and Pronunciation
Spanish Lessons for all levels.
Preparatory courses for the Official Diploma in
Spanish foreign language, GCSE and A Level.
Short Spanish courses with specific objectives:
Spanish for Tourism and Catering,
Legal Spanish and Hispanic Literature.

We
We will
will be
be happy
happy to
to
see
see you
you at
at our
our
Dinghy
Dinghy Park,
Park, the
the
New
New Marina,
Marina, Garrucha
Garrucha
11am
11am every
every Sunday
Sunday

Christine Hargan BSc Hons Psych

chris@whatsholdingyouback.biz

If you
like to
sing,

sedentary. A person doing mentally tough work can relax the mind by
working the body hard, perhaps by participating in a sporting activity.

A competition exclusively designed
for the
over 60’s ~ one-off heats in various
venues
throughout the region over the next
10
weeks with a semi-final, then Gra
nd Final
at the The Kimrick.
The entr y fee is 5€ and is open
to all aged 60 years and over.
Anyone interested in applying, or
a venue
that would like to host a heat can
call 648
206 997 or email ronfazey1@msn.c
om

Mojacar Branch

BURNS NIGHT

at The Artisan Centre
Monday 25th January 2010
Evening starts at 7.30pm
Tickets are 25€ for Members
and 30€ for Non-members
available at the meeting on
21st January or you can
call 950 473 025 to reserve
Seats are limited!

ONE-OFF AUDITION on Friday 22nd Januar y, 8:30pm
Grand Final on Friday 29th Januar y at El Naranjo, Los
Gallardos to raise funds and provide essential Physiotherapy
and Computer equipment for the local Handicapped childrens’
charity ASADIS. It takes the form of a All ages welcome just as
long as they are amateurs! 100€ PRIZE MONEY
S
IF ANYONE HAS ANY UNWANTED ITEMS, CHRISTMAS PRESSIE
ING
ANYTH
E
DONAT
TO
WANT
OR
ETC.
USE
CAN’T
THEY
TOWARDS THE RAFFLE WE WOULD BE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL

For further information call into El Naranjo,
or call Carol or Ron on 648 206 997,
email: ronfazey1@msn.com or apply on the night!

surprise your friends and family
with an announcement online
www.soltimes.com ~ email
all the details & photos to
editor@soltimes.com

We are trying to locate the whereabouts and
contact details of the Albox Orphange.
If you can help us please email
editor@soltimes.com

In Memorium

For the

German Shepherd
V”
He answers to the name of “RA
. He
ber
em
Dec
15
y
sda
He left home on Tue
our
&
e
nam
his
h
wit
tag
a
has
is chipped and
telephone number.
Tel: 658 576 777/950 121 990
.es
Email: b.sherwood@wanadoo
Dear Sol Times
Thank You
A big thank you to all the people that contributed
to the collection of used and new toys that were give
to the Vera Orphanage on the 19th December,
A special thank you to Spanish Proper ty Choice,
Puppy Rescue, Sunny Sweets, Claire, Neville,
Oliver & Elliot, AG2 & Vanessa.
Sharon
(details provided)

Dear Sol Times
MACS Cancer Suppor t Group would
like to thank one of our most generous
and consistent fundra isers F.A.C.E.
(Fundraising in Arboleas Caring for
Everyone).
F.A.C.E in Albox continually raise
funds for very well worth causes
and they are one of MACS largest
suppor ters, who have helped us as a
group offer people affected by cancer
feel less alone and can improve their
ability to deal with the uncertainties
and challen ges that cancer brings.
F.A.C.E
has also enabled us to
provide much need help & special ised
equipment
during
often
very
traumatic times. We have been able
to help people who are affected by

HAPPY 65TH
BIRTHDAY
TO THE BEST UNCLE
LOVE SUSAN, EILEEN
& RAY XXXXX

cancer and under taking treatments
an opportunity to meet and discuss
ways to cope.
In 2008 FACE contributed 3,900
euros to MACS and in 2009 3,000
euros. They have helped MACS from
the beginn ing and their continued
suppor t is invaluable.
A very BIG Thank you from the
whole of the MACS Committee and it’s
members.
MACS Mojaca r Cancer Suppor t
Group
MACS HELPLINE
Tel: (0034) 634 656 555
GENER AL ENQUI RY LINE
Tel: (0034) 607 598 470
macsca ncersupport@live.co.uk
www.macscancersupport.com

George Dawson
23/04/1938 - 07/01/2010
Passed away peacefully at home
Deepest sympathy to all of his family - from
your all your friends at the Travellers.
Adiós Amigo, Hasta la Vista

Any small
building jobs
including
Patio’s,
Brickwork,
Rendering,
Custom Made
& Fitted Rejas
and more...
Tel: 950 067 943
or 676 389 592

Professional Tree Felling,
Pruning, Strimming &
Hedge Cutting

Potty Finca
Services

Small cut logs
ready to burn
available NOW
Ring John on
950 163 930 or 616 855 294

That used to be our
name and venue...

Due to unforeseen
circumstances we have
had to vacate our original
premises and we are now
looking for a new home.
If anyone knows of,
or has an approximate
11m x 6m space in a unit or
similar in the Albox/Arboleas
area please let us know!

agents to sell advertising
space in well established
magazine. 30%
commission.

tiling
667 235 205

Floor and
Wall Tiling
Specialist

Not a jack of all trades,
just a master of one!
Call Steve Holman
Tel: 697 678 708

tuition
Do you wish to
learn to play
saxophone or
clarinet?

Contact Dave Sharp
Professional Musician
for more details

Tel: 659 022 604

Phone Naresh: 616 493 487

seeking work
Hard
Working
Man

Looking for
Work
Labouring,
Gardening,
Driving
Anything
considered

Call
Stephen
655 772
127

drainage

Tel: 639 088 789

For all information and photos go to:

situation vacant

For all of your interior/exterior
decorating needs.
Only top quality materials used,
no fuss just a quality finish.
We all know times are hard.
Worried about cost?
Why not try me on 673 421 503
At least the estimate is free.
35th year of trading in the UK & Spain.
email: keithabel1@aol.com

in the Albox area
Certificates available
for inspection. Genuine
enquiries only.

Dog & Horse Sitting Service
Ex RSPCA Inspector. Experienced with dogs
for 50 years. Experienced with horses for
30 years. Going on holiday let us take
care of your pets, either at your home or
at our home. Just outside Albox town.
References available.

vaccinated, DOB: 19 May `09. Flynn was one of
five kits born to mum Bonnie. All the kits had very
attractive markings and inherited their mum´s fluffy
coat. Flynn and his sister Tia were homed together
but unfortunately were returned to us when the
owner had to relocate due to work commitments.

Betty is 4 years old, tan and white, shorthaired, medium sized female. She has
been in kennels for 3 years and is loving
and playful.

PUPPY
RESCUE

If you can give any of our
dogs a good foster or
permanent home
please ring 667 623 254
LOUISE... dob 13.07.07, spayed, very energetic, hunting dog
or email:
type, sweet - natured, full of fun and would make a great family
pet, she has a rough coat, beautiful colouring and nature.
info@puppyrescueinspain.com

PROPERT Y
for rent

TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION
CALL LYNN ON 950 430 820 OR
EMAIL SALES@SOLTIMES.COM

ARE YOU: • Confident & energetic?
• Able to work to deadlines?
• Able to keep your smile when
the pressure is on?
• Well organised and able to work
on your own initiative?
• A team player with the ability to work with
existing clients but also generate new business?
Then we want to meet you!
Experience is not essential as full
and on-going training is provided.
In return we offer: A high commission
package, mobile phone & expenses.
For more information please call:

about your business
“Did you know Sol
Times has over
Distribution Points?”

450

Sol Times Newspapers is
distributed every week to over
450 drop off points including:
shops, garages, supermarkets,
pubs, restaurants and other
businesses throughout Almeria
and Murcia conurbation.

You will be part of our production
team dedicated to bringing out
two great weekly newspapers!
We are looking for someone special:
Are you a creative and experienced graphic
designer looking for an exciting opportunity?
The ideal candidate will be proficient in
the use of Photoshop, Indesign & Quark.
Able to work on your own initative. Used
to working under pressure and to tight
deadlines on a daily basis. You will need
to have an eye for detail and be able to
prioritise your workload.
Web design experience an advantage.
Working from our head office in Albox.
For more information please call:

When responding to an advertisement remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

European car sales up in December

European car sales rose by 16% in December, marking signs of recovery in the sector after another
tough year. However, total sales for 2009 were down 1.6% on 2008, according to figures from the
European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA). Some countries with scrappage schemes
saw rises in sales in 2009, including France and Germany.
Sales in the UK were down 6.4% for the year as a whole, though December sales were up 39%
compared with a year ago. A total of 14.5 million cars were sold across 28 European countries in
2009.
Ivan Hodac, secretary general of the EAMA, warned that the positive figures for December
compared with an extremely bad period for the sector at the end of 2008.
He added that some manufacturers would also suffer from the end of many scrappage schemes.
“The scrappage schemes mainly benefited the volume manufacturers like Volkswagen, Renault and
Fiat,” he said. “2010 will be extremely difficult for these companies.”
Germany saw the biggest rise in sales last year - up more than 23% compared with 2008. But sales
for December were lower than a year ago, following the end of the German car scrappage scheme
in September.
The UK’s scrappage scheme is due to run out in February, with a quota system for manufacturers
introduced to share out the remaining money.

car industries
Several European countries have used scrappage schemes to help their
fifth of new
a
The UK’s scheme began in May 2009 and has been responsible for
run out in
to
d
car registrations since then according to manufacturers. It is expecte
February
5bn euros (4.4bn
Germany’s car scrappage scheme ended in September 2009, costing
GBP). Car sales rose by 23% last year
2009. It has now
France was the first to introduce a scrappage scheme in January
10%
ended, helping car sales rise by more than
the Netherlands,
Other European countries to introduce scrappage schemes include
Portugal and Spain. They all saw sales fall in 2009
which saw a 62%
Countries that did not introduce scrappage schemes include Ireland,

ALBOX

El c on
Rin

na

Pottery

do

en

We repair Scooters,
motorbikes & quad

EUROPE’S SCRAPPAGE SCHEMES FACTS & FIGURES

HOW TO FIND US
rca

ro

SERVICE 1 ~ Petrol or Diesel
Up to 1.4 litre............... €95.00
1.4 to 2 litre.................€105.00
Over 2 litre.................. €115.00

Mr Hodac also said that Europe was still making too many cars: “Overcapacity has to be addressed
as soon as possible, but it will take time. I’m not saying brands will disappear, but groups will become
bigger, brands will change hands, and production will be cut.”

■A
ll cars advertised are in stock at the showroom
■ The year of manufacture/date of registration is stated correctly
■ Our price includes warranty, minimum 12 months ITV and all
transfer fees including road tax
■ All warranties are carried out at our own workshop by dealer
trained mechanics
WE ARE
HERE
Petrol
Station
E15/A7 MOTORWAY
Exit 534

YOUR 2000 ONWARDS 5 DOOR
SELLING
HATCHBACKS, MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC,
YOUR CAR!
PLUS 1998 ONWARDS 4x4
Ask
about our Sale or
DIESEL OR PETROL!!!
Return service and let
We are always buying vehicles, low kms
us sell it for you.
examples are preferable with service history.

OPENING HOURS:
Mon ~ Fri 9am to 6pm
Saturday 10am to 2pm

Car Sales: 950 459 136
Workshop: 950 459 209
Car Hire: 950 459 208

www.costacoches.com

37

38

When responding to an advertisement remember to say you saw it in the SOL TIMES

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

points beating Richard Hurn into
third place on a countback.
The "two's" competition produced
four qualifiers, Sandra Larkin, Val
Cooke, Andrew Markham and
Richard Hurn.

mojacar angling
club

forum
Golf society

Captain ‘Graham’ Gnome took
‘Bob the Fireman’ out for a days
fishing on his Garrucha-moored
boat. They caught a few fish
including Combers, Blue Mouthed
Rock Fish, Striped and Pandora
Bream, Wide Eyed Flounders and
Pickerel. The seas have not been
good this last week and no other
Capitanos have been out as far as I
know. We still await the imminent
arrival of Captain ‘Brian’ Cuba!

The
lightning
fast
greens
at Aguilon provided a tough
challenge for the Forum Golf
Society members who contested an
individual stableford competition
there on January 15th, with firsttime winner Adrian Lawrence
fighting off the effects of flu to
record his first society victory with
35 points.

See photo of the two Pauls;
‘Palomares Paul’ and ‘Paul the
Rope’ (With a Comber) having a
day out on Brian’s boat.
‘London Bill’ was fishing Macenas
Rocks and caught a good Atlantic
Scad which he says weighed about
2.5lbs. He lost a Sea Bass in the surf
and had small bream and wrasse
from Macenas Beach. Talking to
two Spanish lads he learnt one had
caught a 5lb Dorado the day before
from Macenas Beach. The fish was
caught on a silver spinning spoon.
‘Baza Barry’ again fished a Murcia
lake and caught carp to 7lbs and
barbel to 4lbs. Barry says he has
seen black bass and trout in the
lake to 1lb, must be bigger in there,
its fed by the River Segura.
Bridie ‘Girl Friday’ will attempt
to get another batch of Andalucian
coarse fishing licenses at the end
this month so if you are interested
see me soon and don’t forget
you will need an in date English
fishing license plus passport copy
and preferably a copy of your NIE
document. This may be the last
time this can be done as the rules
are due to change imminently.
Bridie will also get saltwater boat
and beach licenses at the end of
January and a passport copy and
NIE copy is required.
Checkout Mojacar’s weather
and sea conditions here on the
Beachcomber’s webcam: www.
almeriafreeads.com/webcam
For further information on any of
the above or to find out about beach,
boat or coarse fishing licenses,
see me at the Beachcomber Bar
Restaurant on Mojacar Playa or call
950 473 099. In case of difficulty
reaching me (Probably out fishing)
ask staff for my mobile number.
Tight lines
Beachcomber John

Peter Shaw showed the benefit of
a little local knowledge with a score
of 34 points to take second place,
with Richard Brady (32) third, Jim
Barclay (31) fourth, Richard Swaine
(30) fifth & Graham Tabberer (30)
sixth.
Four nearest the pin prizes were
also available on the day, & these
were claimed by Adrian Lawrence,
Richard Brady, Jim Barclay &
Malcolm Fenwick
The society’s next events are:
January 29th - Team Lone Ranger
at Marina
February 5th - Almeria League
match away to Boxers GS
February 12th - Pairs 2 Man No
Scotch at Playa Macenas
February 17th - Almeria League
match away to Marina Members
For further information on
these events & any other Forum
GS enquiries contact Phil Elam
on
philjelam@yahoo.co.uk
/ 666 847840, or see www.
forumgolfsociety.webs.com

MARINA MEMBERS
GOLF CLUB
Monday 11 January
The day started quite cold but this
didn't deter our hardy members,
there was a good turn out for the
Stableford competition which
finished in warm sunshine.
In the Ladies division Margaret
Budd came in first with 34 points,
followed by Sandra Larkin with
33 points and Nuala Hare with 30
points.
The Men's division was well
supported but the cold start seems
to have affected the scoring with
none of the players reaching par
figures. The winner on the day was
Frank Varey with 35 points, Jim
Budd took second place with 34

Medal
Played in blustery but sunny
conditions, it doesn’t get any easier
to score in a medal comp
1st Les Raufer 97-22=75 on a
card play off

Thursday 14th January

2nd Bill Gibb 84-9=75

The competition, a "double score
yellow ball" event was organised
by Maxine and Brian Mayhew and
included several welcome visitors.
It was sheer coincidence that the
winning team consisted of Maxine
and Brian Mayhew aided by
Glennys Oliver.with 132 points. In
second place were Sandra Larkin,
David Roddis and Keith James
with 122 points and in third place
Christine Roddis, June Humphries
and Jim Budd.

3rd Graham
16=76

Visitors are very welcome to join
our Thursday friendly competitions
for a total of 30 Euros including the
green fee. Contact Jim on 950 162
727 or Sandra on 950 069 438
BT

cortijo grande
golf
Wednesday 13th January and two
divisions.
Our winner of the first division
with 36 points Frank McGovern,
second with 35 points Mark Sutton
and third with 34 points Neville
Pye.
Second division winner with 34
points Ursula Lade, second with
32 points Kathy Collins and third
with 31 points Wendy Woodward.
Ball sweep winners - John Hill, Bill
Churchill, Brian Harwood.
Sunday 17th January and the
monthly Medal with lots of
countbacks to find the winners.
First division winner with net 69
points Brian Harwood, second
with 71 points Mike Picken on
countback from Peter Jackson also
with 71 points.
Second division winner with
another 71 points Bob Risbey from
Frank McGovern another 71 points
on countback and in third with net
76 points Colin Mason.
Third division winner with 71
points Sheila Picken on countback
from Peter Morse another 71 points
with in third Graham Meeks 73
points. Some high scores but close
finishes. Only one ball sweep
winner - Geoff Bridgman.
We shall be going to stay in
Roquetas for one night and two
rounds of golf at a very good price.
This is available to all our old mates
who have played with us in our
past away days, you will be very
welcome to take advantage of our
good deal as usual.
To play in this or any other
Wednesday or Sunday 950 475 509.
Enjoy your golf at Cortijo Grande
visitors and guests welcome
M.P.

aguilon
Golf members
The start of a new year and what
a pleasure to return from the ice,
snow and blizzards of the UK to
warmer climbs (everything is
relative)
Results
Wednesday 6th January - Monthly

Jefferies

92-

Only one 2 recorded - Bill Gibb on
the4th
Friday 8th January - League Match
Aguilon travelled to Marina Golf
for a league match against Forum
GS. The wind was gale force and
bitterly cold so it was surprising
that the standard of golf was so
high considering the layers of
“skins” the players wore! In a very
tight match Forum emerged the
winners by 3pts to 2pts
Wednesday
13th
January
Individual Stableford

-

No complaints about the conditions
on a warm but cloudy day!
1st Glyn Ombler 36pts
2nd

Roy Stubbins 34pts

3rd

Kevin Manser 33pts

Twos Kevin Manser x2 4th and 8th
and Glyn Ombler 8th
Guests and visitors are welcome to
join us on a Monday, Wednesday
and Friday. For further information
contact 650 835 188 or 634 641
199.

costa almeria
lawn bowling
CALB Launch Event
On Sunday 10th January, 132
bowlers from four local clubs,
Almeria, Cabrera, Indalo and
La Mata braved the cold and
attended the launch event of a new
provincial alliance. Barry Woods,
President of the host club Cabrera,
welcomed the players and paid
tribute to members of a steering
group, formed last summer, to pave
the way forward for the alliance
and form the Costa Almeria Lawn
Bowls Committee.
He wished
everyone an enjoyable afternoon
and expressed his hope that the
alliance would continue to grow
and prosper.
Ian Brewster Chair of the newly
formed committee thanked Barry
for his welcome and paid tribute
to Cabrera members for providing
well-maintained
facilities,
in
particular the bowling greens.
He then introduced the delegates
Jim Pike and Colin Wright from
Almeria, David Jenkins from
Cabrera, Brian Halliwell from
Indalo and Pete Anderson and
Barrie West from La Mata so that
a name could be put to a face and,
added jokingly, so that people
would know who to blame when
things go wrong. Mick Johnson,
also from Indalo, was training with
the national squad and was unable
to attend. Ian also introduced
Gerard
Douglas,
committee
Administrator, and stated that the
delegates were easy to work with,
totally committed to and motivated
by their role and, as a committee,
they intended to walk before they
run, learn from their mistakes and
give the alliance their best shot.
On behalf of the committee Ian
then thanked the bowlers for their
attendance and reminded them
that their presence inaugurated the

alliance and, with their continuing
support, the committee could plan
the way forward with confidence.
A Bowls Drive was played in
dropping
temperatures
and
fortunately all ends were completed
before the appearance of rain. Barry
Woods presented prizes donated
by Cabrera to the winning team
of Roy Savage, Sue Mannall, Paul
Cartwright and Roy Tonkin. He
then closed the event by thanking
the organisers Ian Brewster and
David Jenkins, the bar staff, and all
who had helped to make the event
a success.
Report by Ian Brewster

the grumpy old
men of los
gallardos
Greetings from God's little waiting
room. I hope that you all survived
the little vesper that blew through
the area last week; it almost kept
me awake that night!
We have another candidate, along
with Clarence (Noah) and Cyclops
(Wallace) for the 20/20 vision
stakes, Trucker Tel. As we were
driving towards Asprodalba last
week, we were chatting about the
money that was being spent on our
local roads.
"Must be coming out of the E.U.
coffers" says I.
"Where's the coppers?" says he.
It didn't end there; on leaving, we
wanted to go to Antas so at the Tjunction he executed a perfect right
turn and then proceeded to drive
on the left - not a good idea!
Talking of Noah, he had a funny
turn the other day and the
ambulance had to be called. He
had to be given an antihistamine
injection for an allergic reaction,
which this time could not be
attributed to "the old bird" As you
will see from the photo, he is now
fully recovered and following his
favourite past time, stuffing his
face.

I've heard that, at the games night,
the men who mark the darts are
asking to be issued with full body
armour when some of the ladies
were throwing. I know there are
quite a few chips in the paintwork,
but that is taking it too far!
Hansel and Gretal have decided to
visit Morocco, strange what some
people do, isn't it? At time of going
to press, it's believed they still have
the wheels on their camper van.
We happy band of workers,
descended on South Fork, after our
Christmas semester. I never cease
to marvel how much quicker the
weeds grow than the crops we are
trying to cultivate. Never mind, we
managed to get some good tackle

Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

LOCAL sport news... LOCAL sport news... LOCAL sport news...

Sales: 950 430 820 email: sales@soltimes.com

SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

39

SPAIN sport news... SPAIN sport news... SPAIN sport news...
out. Grommet fitted the new pullstart to the gang mower and - you
guessed it - it would not start…back
to the drawing board. Ah we do see
life!!!
That's all for this week, until the
next time, Tight lines, Uncle Albert

CDV albox
football club
Albox V C.D. Huercal
Albox had a bad December as far
as their results went; two defeats
and a home draw was not title
winning form so three points were
badly needed today. The game
started very poor with both sides
not playing much football and
Albox looking short of confidence.
Albox opened the Huercal defense
with some neat football but missed
a great chance to take open the
scoring. This was to be the pattern
for the whole of the first half with
Albox creating chance after chance
but only to waste them all.

Spanish Football Review
Barcelona extend laed at top of
table to 5 points.
Barcelona took its revenge on
Sevilla on Saturday, after the
Andalucian side knocked them
out of the King’s Cup last week,
with a 4-0 win at the Camp Nou.
Two goals came from Messi, one
from Pedro and there was an own
goal from Escudé. It means that
Barça are the ‘winter champion’
at the half-way point of the season
and have extended their lead at
the top of the Primera Liga to five
points.
That’s because Real Madrid went
down from a single goal after
having most of the play in their
first loss of the season at
Athlético de Madrid saw their
third
consecutive
triumph,

coming out 3-2 winners against
Sporting, and David Villa guided
Valencia to a 4-1 victory in the
derby against Villarreal.

"It has been a very important
day for me," said Sainz on www.
autosport.com.
"Spain has finally won the Dakar
with cars and I'm delighted. I want
to thank (co-driver) Lucas (Cruz)

Sevilla Put Barcelona Out Of The King's Cup
‘I feel as though I have let the players down’, - The
words of Pep Guardiola, the Barcelona manager, after
the Champions were knocked out of the King’s Cup by
Sevilla last night.
A single goal from Xavi in the 63rd minute at the
Sánchez Pizjuan was not enough to keep Barça in the
competition after the 1-2 defeat from the first leg at the
Camp Nou.
Barcelona were the superior side on the night, but
Sevilla absorbed the pressure well only allowing the
single goal thanks greatly to Palop in the Sevilla goal.
The giantkillers Alcorcón who famously knocked
Real Madrid out of the competition last season, were
themselves put out by Racing, and Deportivo have

Simao opened the scoring and closed it too
with a dramatic final goal. They now meet
Celta in the quarter finals.
In the other second leg game played on
Thursday, Mallorca go through after beating
Rayo 3-1 and overturning the 2-1 from
Vallecas. The winning goal from Victor
came in injury time.

The former World Rally champion
finished the race two minutes
12 seconds ahead of Volkswagen
team-mate Nasser Al-Attiyah, who
won today's leg from San Rafael to
Buenos Aires.

Qatari driver Al-Attiyah finished
today's stage 36 seconds ahead
of Sainz but it was not enough to
prevent the Spaniard, who has led
since stage five, from taking the
race victory.

Report by Les Skinner

A remarkable come back from Atlético
in the second leg of the King’s Cup on
Thursday night when the red and whites
beat Recreativo de Huelva 5-1 to overthrow
the 3-0 result from the first leg.

Carlos Sainz claimed his first
Dakar Rally victory after finishing
second in Saturday's 14th and final
stage.

American Mark Miller finished
third overall, 32mins 51secs back,
to complete a one-two-three for
the German manufacturer, who
repeated their 2009 success.

The second half continued the same
as the first, with Albox missing
chance after chance and the crowd
was beginning to think the home
side would pay for their missed
chances. On 75 minutes Albox got
the all important goal they needed
with a well-placed header from a
free kick 1-0 Albox. Straight after
taking the lead, Albox had a great
chance to score, but once again
they failed to take the chance. The
last few minutes was all pressure
from the visitors as the tried to get
the goal the needed to get a point
from the game ,but the home side
held on to their lead. If Albox are
going to stay in the top three places
in the league they need to get a goal
scorer very quick.

for his great work and to all the
team, and everybody who put their
trust in me.
"We haven't had any problems,
and the car doesn't have a scratch.
"I think we have done a fast but
intelligent Dakar. It has been a very
hard fight with my team-mate. We
knew it would be that way. As I said
before, I want to thank everyone
who trusted in me."
BMW pair Stephane Peterhansel,
who was fourth today, and Guerlain
Chicherit, who was third, finished
fourth and fifth respectively.
France's Cyril Despres took
victory in the bike class even
though he could only finish sixth
today, Ruben Faria of Portugal
winning the final stage.
Vladimir Chagin of Russia
completed a convincing win in the
truck category by finishing fourth
today, while Argentina's Marcos
Patronelli won the quad class ahead
of elder brother Alejandro.

Barcelona Wants To Host
Its Second Olympics
Barcelona has announced its
bid for the 2022 Winter Olympics
which, if the Catalan capital is
successful, would be the second
time the city will have hosted
the Games, after the Summer
Olympics which were held in
Barcelona in 1992. It would also
make Barcelona the only city
in the world to have hosted the
summer and the winter Games.
The city’s Mayor, Jordi Hereu,
made the announcement at a
press conference at the Barcelona’s
Olympic Museum, saying, ‘We
want to relive the Olympic
dream’. He said the events would

be divided between the capital
city and the ski stations in the
Catalan Pyrenees.
It’s understood that the Spanish
Olympic Committee has already
been informed of the decision,
and it is that body which will
decide which Spanish city can go
forward as the official candidate.
That decision will be taken in
2013, and the host city will then
be chosen by the International
Olympic Committee in 2015.
Barcelona will be vying for the
candidacy against Zaragoza which
is placing a joint bid with Jaca.

Michael Schumacher
Spotted Racing
In Jerez
Seven times world champion Michael
Schumacher has been spotted practicing in
Jerez in Spain. He took part in the first of
three GP2 race training days in a Mercedes
car, his new team for 2010.
It follows his failed attempted comeback
for Ferrari last season because of a neck
injury, and shows that the ‘Kaiser’ is taking
an active role in the development of the
GP2 car for Mercedes. It’s understood that
the team are testing different suspension
configurations and a new clutch ahead of the
new season.

www.carsupermarket.es

40 SOLTIMES JANUARY 2010

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SPORT
Alastair Cook will captain England on their
tour of Bangladesh after the selectors opted
to rest both Andrew Strauss and James
Anderson.
Cook, whose previous leadership experience
is limited to a brief spell in charge of England
Under 19s, will take charge of a 16-man Test
squad to face the Tigers.
The Essex opener will also lead England in
the three one-dayers in Bangladesh, although
Paul Collingwood retains the T20 captaincy for
the two T20 Internationals against Pakistan in
the United Arab Emirates which precede the
tour of Bangladesh.
Anderson has been left out in order to
undergo a specialist review and a programme
of rehabilitation for his chronic right knee
injury. It is anticipated that following the
rehabilitation period, he will be fully fit and
available for selection for the World T20 in the
West Indies in late April.
Two uncapped players, Yorkshire pace bowler
Ajmal Shahzad and Kent off-spinner James
Tredwell, have won places in both squads,
while another uncapped player Hampshire
batsman Michael Carberry has been included
in the Test squad.
"Andrew Strauss has provided outstanding
leadership for the team in both forms of
the game over the past 12 months and the
selectors feel it is important that he takes a
break ahead of an extremely busy programme
of international cricket leading up to and
including the Ashes series in Australia and

the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2011," explained
national selector Geoff Miller.
"Our decision to appoint Alastair Cook to
the Test vice captaincy last year clearly
demonstrated the belief that he has the
potential to be a future England captain.
"Alastair will now have an opportunity to
develop his leadership skills still further by
leading the side in both forms of cricket in
Bangladesh and I know that he is excited by
the challenge and looking forward to working
closely with Andy Flower.
"Paul Collingwood had an excellent tour of
South Africa in all forms of cricket and he will
continue to lead the side in the T20 format
with the two T20 Internationals against the
current World champions Pakistan providing
excellent preparation for us ahead of the
World T20 in the Caribbean."
On the new faces, Miller added: "We are
delighted to welcome Ajmal Shahzad to both
squads for the first time.
"He enjoyed an excellent season with
Yorkshire last year, made a strong impression
while he was in South Africa with the EPP
squad and is a bowler with the potential to
make a real impact in international cricket."
"James Tredwell and Michael Carberry have
also continued to impress the selectors over
the course of the winter and we expect both
players to make a strong challenge for inclusion
in our starting line-up on the forthcoming
tour."

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The Scot conceded just
four games as he swept
aside the 6ft 8in South
African 6-1 6-1 6-2.
The match was played
under the Rod Laver
Arena roof because of
the conditions outside,
which resulted in more
than 20 matches across
the men's and women's
singles draws being
cancelled for the day.

Murray
Happy
After
Opening
Win

Play had been halted on four separate
occasions on the outside courts and Murray
admitted he was happy to avoid such delays
and book his place in the second round.
"It's good to get the match out of the way
today because it's a long day for a lot of the
players because of the weather outside," said
Murray, who admitted he had expected more
of a fight from South Africa's top-ranked
player. Obviously it's good to get finished
quickly. It is a good start. He's a tough player.
He's beaten (Novak) Djokovic before in
Miami and he's won a tour event. He's 6ft
8in so I wasn't expecting it to be easy. I just
got off to a good start which helped. I broke
him straight away which always makes a big
difference."

than I've done in the last three years. I feel
good and I think that match proved it."
He added: "He didn't get broken in the
whole of qualifying. It was a tough first
round for me."
After racing through the opening set
Murray again immediately broke in the
second set when Anderson miscued a simple
volley wide.
The 23-year-old South African had his
chance to break back, but squandered three
break-point opportunities.
Murray extricated himself from the danger
with consecutive backhand cross-court
winners as Anderson advanced to the net,
before serving it out with an ace.

Murray was quickly out of the blocks as he
raced into a 5-0 lead before taking the first
set in 29 minutes to set the pattern for the
remainder of the match.

The match already looked within Murray's
keeping and he looked to get to the net more
often and take control against his lumbering
opponent.

The 22-year-old never gave his opponent
a chance from there as he broke in six of
Anderson's first eight service games to
drain any pre-match optimism he may have
retained after coming through qualifying,
where he was not broken once, to reach the
main draw.

The tactic worked as he broke three more
times in the set to clinch it 6-1, with the
pressure showing on Anderson who doublefaulted to go two sets down.

The only negative in Murray's display was
on serve where he only managed to get a
paltry 35% of first serves in play, but the Scot
hardly had reason to be downbeat.
"I'd like to have served bit better," he said.
"But I feel good. I got here 10 days earlier

With the South African now resigned to his
fate, both players ambled through the final
set before Murray clinched the match with
his seventh break.
Murray will next play the winner of the
match between Marc Gicquel and Simone
Bolelli, which was postponed due to the
adverse weather. It will now take place on
Tuesday.

Gary Neville insists Manchester United's players will not
be affected by the off-field rumblings of discontent over the
club's finances.
Documents released last week in conjunction with a
proposed £500million bond issue suggested the Glazer
family would be willing to sell United's Carrington training
complex and their iconic Old Trafford home should enormous
debt prove impossible to repay.
Many critics argue that is inevitable given the vast
amounts of interest the club are responsible for, with only
the £80million sale of Cristiano Ronaldo allowing them to
record a profit for the year to June 2009.
Extra security measures were taken on Saturday as United
defeated Burnley 3-0, while chants of 'We want the Glazers
out' were heard. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has declined
to comment on the situation, claiming he is restricted by
regulatory rules.
However, Neville is adamant the whole thing is none of his
team-mates' business and could not be used as an excuse for
failure on the pitch.
"All the speculation about the finances at Manchester
United does not affect the players," he told the Sunday Times
in Malta. We are always very well protected and never get
involved in the financial side of things. There have been talks
and rumours over the years going back to when the Glazers
took over. As players we never get involved in those things;
our job is purely on the pitch and we allow people who are
paid to do jobs in other areas of the club to do their job. It is
nothing to do with us at all."

Neville: Finances
Not Our Business
and lack of goals, mean that if he had to be sold, United would
be lucky to get back half that.
And with rumours in the press that Barcelona and Real
Madrid are prepared to fight it out for Wayne Rooney’s
signature this summer, there could be worrying times ahead
for Manchester United and its fans.
Leeds United fans will tell you that once the club starts
talking of selling off the training facility, followed by the
club’s football ground - to lease them back - and then start
selling the team’s best players to balance the books is the
start of a very slippery slope.

Nevertheless, it is likely to remain an issue for some
considerable time, especially as the anti-Glazer faction
among the United support are mobilising themselves.

Ironically, it was Leeds United from League One who
dumped Manchester United out of the FA Cup with a 1-0
win at Old Trafford, thus ending any chance of much needed
revenue for the Manchester club from that competition.

Other factors have contributed to their plight: £30.75million
record signing Dimitar Berbatov’s lacklustre performances,

No-one could foresee or believe Leeds’ fall from grace. Surely
it couldn’t happen to a club like Man United, could it?

... Newcastle could be set to take on Peruvian midfielder Nolberto Solano for a third time after missing out on striker Jermaine Beckford, who
has decided to stay with Leeds...Cash-strapped West Ham have slapped a staggering £15m price tag on England midfielder Scott Parker...
Netherlands striker Ryan Babel will be swiftly shipped out of Liverpool after a row with manager Rafa Benitez sealed his fate and cost him
a week’s wages...Dundee United have rejected a £75,000 bid from Blackpool for Scotland’s 21-year-old centre-half Garry Kenneth...

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Alastair
Cook to
Captain
England

Andy Murray was
happy to quickly wrap
up his first-round match
with qualifier Kevin
Anderson on a wet and
windy opening day at
the Australian Open.